Learning To Walk Again (How To Heal a Broken Heart)
by kaminx
Summary: Riki is injured in a car accident and placed in a unique hospital where a caregiver is constantly there. With the help of Iason will he be able to walk again? Or will he fall into depression and give up? Rated M for intimate scenes between Riki and Iason. Also is an AU.
1. That Fateful Day

I'm back again with another Ai no Kusabi story! I know you're probably thinking I'm crazy for adding another one, but I can't stop myself. Forgive me! This story is based in just our plain old normal world. Iason is not part of anything like the Syndicate, but he is part of something. And therefore, he is human and going to be softer than he was in the novels. **This is rated M because their relationship will become intimate during the duration of the story.** If you can forgive me for all of this, then please keep reading and enjoy. ❤

* * *

The sound of metal twisting and a earsplitting bang filled the air as the car collided with the truck. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, his mother screamed and his father tensed as the impact occurred. He didn't even have time to look up from his cellphone to brace for the impact. All he saw when he looked up was the metal of the other vehicle straight in front of him.

Then came the pain, the excruciating pain that shot up like lightning in his back as he lurched forward. He screamed in agony as he couldn't move his legs or move to get away and free himself. He was squeezed between the front seat and the back seat, not enough to crush him, but enough to ensure he was snuggling stuck. A wave of dizziness and disorientation took him as he felt his head pulse from when hit against the interior. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them and saw several dots of crimson. Some were in a cluster, while others were spread out; others dripped downward.

He heard his mother sigh deeply and almost serenely, as if the breath were gently stolen from her lungs or she were doing some sort of relaxing mediation exercise. And there was no sound at all from his father.

"M-Mom?" he choked in a breathy whisper as the seats squeezed his lungs. A shot of pain again in his lower back caused him to gasp and writhe in the hold, "Mom!"Neither of his parents responded, which worried him. Maybe they couldn't hear him, maybe they had passed out. But they were all right, right? Another wave of dizziness hit him, this time it tugged him into darkness and he let himself be consumed as the pain in his back increased to an unbearable rate.

* * *

"Young male, car accident, possible paralysis or severe spinal damage!" the nurse listed off as the doctors pushed the stretcher down the hall.

"Can you hear me, boy?" the male doctor asked, flashing a light into his dark eyes and the boy nodded slightly. "He's responsive."

Riki tried to move his head to the side, but the brace under his chin held him still, "What...?"

"You're in the Emergency Room, you've just been in a car accident."

"Parents..."

"Someone is dealing with them right now," the man assured, turning the stretcher down another hallway. "Clear him for an X-ray and CT, stat!" he barked to the others. "Does anything hurt?" He jabbed Riki's fingers with a pen, "Can you feel this?"

"My...back," Riki moaned feebly, trying to move himself around with no success as he was still strapped to the board.

"Can you feel this?" the man asked again, but this time jabbing Riki's leg and then feet.

"No..."

* * *

"CT scan showed swelling in the spine," the nurse confirmed, "And the X-ray showed that there were no fractures or damage to the spine or spinal cord. We've booked him for an MRI, but so far are diagnosis is that he's bruised his spine from the blunt force in the accident, hence why he can't feel his legs."

"He's in a lot of pain, start him on some corticosteroids," the doctor ordered, "He'll have to have blood drawn out from the injury which is causing the blockage." He looked at the test results again, "He may need surgery if he doesn't regain any feeling soon."

* * *

Riki gripped onto the bed railing as he felt the cold needle touch his skin. He was given some pain medication, but it still hurt like a bitch to have the hurt and tender spot touched. The drugs must have not taken full effect yet, which was why he could still feel some pain. He ground his teeth together as a huge amount of pressure formed in the area.

"Breathe slowly, in and out," one of the nurses advised gently while touching his knuckles that were white from his grip. "Just breathe and it'll be over."

He moaned at the pain as he felt the pressure in his back increase, like something inside of him was going to launch or erupt. It hurt so bad, why did it have to hurt so bad?

"There we go," the doctor commented, finally finishing the task of drawing the blood. "Now get some rest and we'll send someone to care for you soon." He placed a tiny bandage on the puncture wound after he handed the syringe to the other nurse who left the room.

The nurse beside him helped Riki roll over and positioned his legs properly on the bed. Then after he was covered with a blanket he was finally left alone. He closed his eyes as his head pulsed slightly underneath the bandage. His world was a confusing haze, he couldn't exactly figure out what was going on. he hadn't come to terms with his injury or the reality of his parents. Everything was just a big fuzzy ball of confusion, whether it was from hitting his head or the medicine, he didn't know.

* * *

"No one wants to take him on, but he needs a caregiver," the head nurse fretted. "He's going to need someone to help him!"

"We are so short staffed right now, if I could I'd take him, but I'm already caring for the patient in room 286."

"I can't take him, I'm already committed to patient 37."

"I'll take him," the man agreed, stepping up to take the file from the head doctor. "My patient was just released this afternoon. I'm free to take him on."

"You are such a life saver, Iason! Thank you!" the head nurse bowed before running off as another emergency order came in.

Iason flipped open the file, heading towards from number 53 to meet his new patient. From the description he read that the patient was a young male, age eighteen and in fairly good shape outside of the injury. He slid open the door and stepped in to find the boy asleep. Not wanting to wake him, he plunked down softly on the sofa in the dimly lit room. The blinds were drawn so only a bit of light from the night outside shone in, while on the other side the lights from the hallway were most blocked out by the blinds.

Iason watched the boy sleep, counting out the rising and falling of his chest. It was a bit slower and deeper, which mildly concerned him. He stood up and hooked up a mask and attached it to the tank in the wall before placing it over the boy's mouth. It wasn't really necessary, but he just wanted him to be more comfortable. He had read in the file that the kid's parents were deceased. They died almost instantaneously after the impact of the crash. The kid had been through a lot and probably was still in shock and confused.

 _Poor kid,_ he thought and watched as the boy took on a normal breathing pattern again. He pulled the elastic around the dark haired head and went to go sit down again. He was also extremely tired, but knew that the hospital was severely short staffed so he had volunteered to stay later. And he was happy he did. This kid needed someone right now, someone to help him and explain his situation. Last time Iason had helped someone who had a spine injury, they had given up on life and he was handed off to another patient before he could make things right. He wasn't going to let this boy go down the same road.

* * *

Riki awoke to a gentle nudge and a light shinning on his eyelids. He pried open his eyes to see a man with blonde hair and icy blue eyes looking down at him with concern. "I'm sorry, I have to wake you up every so often because you hit your head." He took off he mask and pressed a button and raised the bed so that the boy was sitting up at an angle that wouldn't hurt his spine. "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

The boy just softly shook his head, his eyes dull with exhaustion and mild pain. He wasn't in much pain, but there were still moments where his back would twitch or spasm and it was uncomfortable. "I'm...fine..." he croaked, watching the blonde man look over his IV machine and adjust a few things with the push of a button. "Who are you?"

"I'm your caregiver," he answered, "My name is Iason. I'll be here to take care of all your needs and if you ever need anything when I'm not here press that button." He pointed to a red button on the bed railing.

"I'm...Riki," the boy whispered back, "So...what happened?"

Iason pulled up a chair to the bedside, and Riki noticed how tall he was compare to him—at least a good foot or so higher. His breath caught as he saw how long his hair was in a ponytail, it went down his back a ways! And it was such a pure shade of blonde that he had never seen before, it was actually beautiful. "Riki," he started out slowly, grasping onto his hand gently. "You were in a car accident with your parents. You have suffered a nasty blunt trauma to your spine, but we believe it is only bruised badly, not fractured."

"Is that why I can't feel my legs?"

"Yes, you can't feel them at the moment, but you will when we get you back up and to physiotherapy," he assured, gently patting the tanned hand. "But you cannot give up, or else you'll never be able to walk again."

"And...my parents?" Riki asked with a tennis ball lump in his throat. He could vaguely remember calling out to them, but there was no answer. If they didn't answer, were they dead? "My...parents..." His chest tightened and his throat seemed to close as he started to panic as the memories flooded in like a torrent of hot lava.

"Riki...Riki!" Iason called gently as he abruptly stood up. With deft precision, he grabbed the mask and held it against the shaking boy's mouth and nose. "Just breathe Riki, breathe. In and out, come on." He gently patted the boy's shoulder in a soothing motion as he tried to ease the panicking boy back to a somewhat normal state.

Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes, "Are they...?" he choked, unable to say anymore.

"I'm sorry, Riki," the blonde offered softly, continuing to give a gentle touch of reassurance to the boy. "I'm sorry, but... they didn't make it." A sob ripped from the boy's throat and he abruptly tried to pull away, but Iason gently held him still so he wouldn't hurt himself further. Riki continued to try and fight against him, so he ended up giving him a gentle hug to hold him still.

He could feel the hot tear drops landing on his shoulder as the boy's frame shook in his arms, he didn't know how else to get him to stop trying to move so he had acted on a whim. But it seemed to be working, and he didn't feel that Riki was pushing him away either. He continued to hug him until he got worried because Riki started to heave. He reached out to the table beside him and grabbed onto the kidney basin just in time as Riki began to throw up.

Iason gently patted Riki's upper back as he threw up everything in his stomach and then dry heaved a little. "S...sorry..." he whispered through eyes burning with tears again.

Iason moved the dish away from Riki and grabbing a wash cloth from the cabinet across the room and wetting it. He shook his head softly as he handed the wash cloth over, "You've done nothing wrong, Riki."

Another set of tears bubbled up in the already glistening dark eyes, staining his cheeks on the way down. He covered his face with the hand that wasn't connected to the IV after wiping his mouth, and swiped at damned drops.

"Do you want me to go?" the blonde asked softly, rising up already so Riki wouldn't have to hide in embarrassment for mourning.

"No," he choked, reaching out to catch Iason's hand. "I'm...s...sorry. Please, stay."

Understanding that perhaps Riki didn't want to be left alone, he sat back down and gently touched the dark arm with a soothing caress. "You don't have to be afraid to cry, Riki. It's nothing to be ashamed about." Riki nodded softly, but continued to swat at his tears to make them stop. Iason finally caught his hand, "Riki, just let it out. I'm not going to think any less of you."

Riki tried to hold it back, but his tears got the best of him and soon his cheeks were stained with the salty drops. Iason scooted back on the chair and grabbed Riki a pillow to squeeze and cry into, but made sure he didn't bend his spine forward in a curve to ensure he didn't hurt himself. He stayed by Riki's side and held his hand all until he had cried himself to sleep.

* * *

When he woke up, he felt drained and empty inside. He couldn't believe that his parents were gone, just the other day they were together and everything was somewhat all right. And now he was alone. His eyes burned from all the crying he had done, but he forced them open and stopped to regard the figure next to him.

Iason sat up and stared up at Riki with his blue eyes pooled with concern, "How are you feeling?"

"Shitty..." he managed, his eyes dropped to the bed then to the blonde. "Did you stay with me this whole time?"

He just nodded, "Are you hungry? Shall I get you some food? Or is there anything else you want?" He rose slowly, his body stretching out with such an air of gracefulness before he waited for a response patiently.

"Sure...f–food sounds good for now."

Iason nodded, "All right. I'll be right back."

Riki watched him turn and leave silently. Frankly, he was confused. Never had he heard of any caregiver staying with a patient throughout the night. If anything, he had heard of hospitals leaving patients alone in their times of need. What made this hospital different? It was actually a bit of a relief to know that someone was always there in case he needed something. He remembered that when his uncle was in the hospital that there were a bunch of nurses, but none actually committed to a patient such as Iason did to him. And in all actuality, that was the reason his uncle had died. The nurses would drop the food off and not feed him. How was he supposed to feed himself in such a weak condition? They practically left him to die. They'd come back at the next meal and take the untouched food that his uncle couldn't reach and leave. His aunt had been appalled at the lack of caring the hospital provided, and she herself being in an unstable condition wasn't always able to rush to his aid. If only his uncle had been in this hospital.

The door opened quietly, and Iason stepped in with a tray of food and a little paper bag in his other hand. He set the tray on the little on sided table and slid it over to the bed and then pushed the tabletop part with the tray into Riki's lap. "Here you are," he smiled, uncovering the main dish and the opening the container of juice.

Riki nodded in a gesture of gratitude and picked up his fork to begin eating some of the breakfast sausage. He speared through it and took his first bite, casting a glance in Iason's direction. The blonde was sitting on the couch, and unpacking the little paper bag on the side table. There was only a little bit of food inside: a muffin, an apple and a juice box. He frowned and stared back to his meal, the sausage was only a fraction of the contents on the plate. There were also eggs, some whole wheat toast, the juice container, and a container of yogurt. Why was he eating so much compared to a worker?

"Are you on a diet?" Riki questioned, staring down at the blonde who was silently munching on his food.

Iason grinned and swallowed, "No. I just don't have much of an appetite in the morning. I've always been that way."

"You look like your starving yourself compared to my breakfast menu."

A chuckle rumbled in his throat, "I assure you I am fine."

"Suit yourself," Riki grumbled, stuffing another breakfast sausage into his mouth.

* * *

After they finished, Iason left briefly with the tray and returned with another box in hand. "This is going to suck, but we need to do this." He set the box down on a table and grabbed gloves from the box attached to the wall. "You will hurt yourself if you try to move, and I can't move you to go to the bathroom yet. Meaning," He laid a towel out on the table. "I have to put a catheter in you."

Riki cringed, but knew there was no way around it. He wilted slightly as he watch Iason open the box and grab a linen protector and move towards him.

Iason skillfully pulled back the sheets, gently pushed his legs apart and then stared up into Riki's eyes briefly before pulling up the hospital gown to expose his lower region. He slipped the protector in the opening of his legs and stepped back. He then threw his gloves into the garbage and pulled another package out of the box and slowly opened it. "These are sterile gloves," he explained, putting them on properly so there was no contamination.

Riki watched as he pulled out another sheet of some fabric with a diamond cut out of the center of it. Iason walked over and positioned it so that his penis was in the middle and surrounded by the fabric and empty diamond shape. Then the blonde inserted a syringe with water into a tube that had two ends on one and set it aside. He then picked up a package and tore it open and smeared the contents on the one end that did not have the two ends. After that he pulled out a tray and another packet. He tore open the packet and poured the contents into the tray that was full of cotton ball pads.

Iason looked up at Riki, "OK, I'm going to clean the tip before I insert it, so it might be cold." He gently grasped onto Riki's penis in one hand and in the other hand with a pair of tweezers, he picked up the cotton pad and gently applied it to his penis and started cleaning it. After doing it three times with a new cotton pad each time, he finally threw the tray into the garbage pile. "All right, now comes the next part." He picked up the catheter in one hand and Riki's penis with the other.

Riki tried not to squirm as he watched Iason stick the end into his penis. He bit his lips in terror at never having this done to him. Iason seemed to catch his fear filled gaze and calmly assured, "I've done this many times before, it won't hurt."

He pushed the catheter into Riki's urethra slowly and carefully ensuring that it was going in without any discomfort. When urine started to leak out, he pressed the syringe and filled the balloon on the end inside Riki with the water. After disconnecting the syringe, he took off his gloves and grabbed another pair. He threw away the garbage and protectors before removing the rest of the catheter bag and clipping it to the hanger and bedside. After ensuring it was secure he walked over to the sink and wet a cloth and then proceeded to clean off the tip that was covered in the disinfectant before he dried it. Finally done, he pulled Riki's gown down and the sheets back up.

"There, now that that is done we don't have to worry about it," he sighed, throwing the gloves away. "Are you feeling all right? Nothing uncomfortable?"

"I'm fine," Riki murmured, trying to reclaim whatever pride he had left now that his caregiver had seen and touched his penis.

"Please don't be concerned about that," Iason assured, "It had to be done. Or else you would have had to wet the bed to go the the washroom. Then you could be embarrassed."

He did have a point, that would be way more embarrassing than him having the catheter. "Now what?"

"Well, you can either take a nap, or watch TV," he answered, "I'm actually going to talk to your main doctor for a bit. So you're free to watch what you want or get some sleep."

He nodded, accepting the remote Iason handed to him before he left. He was grateful for all Iason had done to help him so far, and he could see the blonde knew that he was embarrassed anyways and wanted to be alone for awhile. He flicked through some channels and then ended up turning it off to sleep. He was still really tired and his eyes were really sore.

* * *

"Riki!" the gentle voice called again as the boy kept screaming. He caught him in a soft hug and patted his upper back with a soothing motion, waiting patiently for him to wake up and realize that he wasn't in the accident anymore. Riki had nearly rolled off the bed he was so active in his dream, so that was why he had to hold him still without hurting him.

Finally waking up, Riki gasped and panted hard as he panicked. He mumbled a few incoherent things as he squirmed a bit in Iason's hold. Then came another wave of tears as he sobbed openly. Iason continued to gently pat his back, "You're safe now, you're safe, Riki." He froze when he felt Riki actually hug him back, that was a surprising action he hadn't foreseen.

He was so scared that he was dreaming and he was still in the car or dead. He wrapped his arm around Iason's back, hoping to convince himself he was in fact awake. He needed this to anchor him down, or else he would float back to the wreckage of twisted metal and blood. "I'm...sorry...I'm so...sorry..." he sobbed.

Iason continued to hold him, "I'm here for you Riki, I'm here. I won't let you get hurt again."

After a moment of the emotional embrace, Iason gently laid the sniffling boy back down. He walked to the cabinet and grabbed a cloth to wet with water and wipe Rik's face off in attempt to make him feel better. He had actually brought in the tray of lunch for Riki on his way back, but couldn't bear to to disturb him as he looked so tired until he started to scream and thrash his upper body. Iason grabbed onto the juice container and put in a straw before offering it to Riki who accepted with shaky hands. When the cup almost slipped from the trembling tanned fingers, he caught it, adjusted the chair beneath him to a higher position and held it for him to sip away at.

Riki pulled away, his eyes falling in shame, "I'm so...lame..."

Iason only smiled gently, "There is nothing wrong with crying and having bad dreams, Riki. All humans do it." He gently ruffled Riki's hair with his other hand. "Don't worry about it, all right? I'm not going to think any less of you."

"'Kay..." he whispered and continued to sip at the juice.

* * *

 **To Be Continued**


	2. Baby Steps

**Author's Note: Sorry! I have been in a bad situation! My apartment was flooded due to a water pipe that burst! I managed to save a few things before water damage got to them, but ultimately the steam was the killer. I'm sorry my updating speed has decreased. I'm just trying to sort everything out right now with insurance and the landlord. Please forgive me and have patience please!  
**

 _Wraith Fan Answer:_ Yes, I agree, it will be interesting. But a few things about Iason will remain the same. Particularly his possessiveness, which will cause trouble in the future.

 _Guest(s) Answer:_ Thank you so much!

 _Lesleigh Answer:_ I do too!

 _Lea Answer:_ I hope it meets your expectations!

 _yukino76 Answer:_ Thank you!

 _alenyash1307 Answer_ : Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"Breathe, Riki," Iason encouraged, placing his hand on the youth's, only to have Riki grab it painfully. "You can do it, just breathe, Riki."

"Hurts," Riki cried softly while gritting his teeth.

"I know, I know. But you have to have it done or you'll get worse." He glanced back at the doctor. "Are you almost done?"

"Just about," the doctor replied, continuing to drain the fluid.

Riki winced as the pressure increased, his upper body jerking as a flash of pain shot up his spine. He bit his lips hard enough to draw blood as tears stained his cheeks.

Iason knelt down and pressed their foreheads together. "It's almost over, it's almost over. Breathe, Riki," he murmured tenderly, running his free hand through the midnight locks soaked in sweat.

"Done," the doctor announced, peeling off his gloves and handing off the syringe. "I think we drained all the fluids now, so the swelling should cease. It's not a bad sign that you can feel pain. "

Iason nodded to the doctor then stood up to reposition Riki in the proper fashion. "Does it hurt anymore?"

"Not...as bad..." the boy panted. "I'll...be...fine. Gimme a moment." A hand landed on his forehead and he leaned into it, grateful for the cold touch to his burning skin.

"Rest for a bit, I'll up your pain medication dose," Iason encouraged gently. "When you wake I'll have food ready."

* * *

Another sigh escaped his lips as he peered longingly out the window. He craved the fresh air and warmth of the sunshine, it wasn't the same through an open window. He was starting to get nauseous from being cooped up all day. If only he could get out of here! Just for a bit!

Iason caught Riki's gaze, "Nice day outside isn't it?"

"Y...yeah..."

A small smile curled the blonde's lips as he stood up and pulled a folded wheel chair out from its hiding spot. He unfolded it and then looked at Riki with gentle blue eyes, "Would you care for an outing?"

* * *

The moment the chair touched the threshold to the outside world Riki inhaled deeply, filling his lungs to the brim with the untrained air. He was getting nauseous from the distinct smell of the soap and sterilization products the hospital used. Numerous times he had gotten sick from them, and each time, Iason would open the window and bring in a fan to cleanse the air. He even brought in a diffuser and put certain oils and fragrances inside so the smell was less.

"Where do you want to go?"

"There!" Riki eagerly pointed to a pathway into the forest. The sunlight was streaming through the green leaves and into the ground, creating a beautiful scene that captivated him.

Iason steered in the direction of the forest, ensuring that he went over any bumps at a slow pace so it wouldn't hurt Riki.

They walked in silence, both admiring the beautiful green vegetation around them. The thick scent of fresh green plants and tree bark tickled their noses as they went further into the area. There was no one else there, just them. Nobody was around to disturb the soft sounds of the birds chirping and singing, the small animals scurrying, the bugs buzzing. It was very tranquil and drew one into its ambrosial lands and made it hard to want to leave.

Finally they stopped where the pavement ended and a meadow with bright blue and purple flowers mixed in with the tall untrimmed grass. Butterflies fluttered through the clearing along with other bugs before landing on the taller stems.

"...t fair..."

Iason leaned closer, "Pardon?"

A tear slipped down from Riki's eyes that were staring intently at the scene before him. "It's not fair..." he choked.

Immediately Iason started to gently massage Riki's shoulders and then worked his fingers through the boys hair in attempt to soothe him. "You're right, it's not fair. It's not."

Riki leaned back into the gentle motions, relaxing at the warm touch. He had grown used to having Iason with him. They had spent a week together in that room so far, and now that he could use the wheel chair, they could go anywhere he was able to be taken to.

"It's not fair, but it has happened. Now you have to cope with it," Iason gently explained. "And I'll be here to help you, Riki."

The boy reached his hand back to touch Iason's and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Thank you, Iason."

"My pleasure."

They watched a gentle breeze begin to sway the meadow grass in silence. Enjoying the sweet fragrance of the grass and flowers blowing towards them. It was a refreshing experience that could send anyone into a trance.

"Why do you work here?" Riki finally asked, breaking the enchanting spell.

The question startled Iason from the relaxing moment. "Actually, I don't belong to this hospital. I belong to the one in the city."

"Then why are you here?" Riki asked, turning his neck to peer up at the blonde.

"My parents sent me here, they had hoped it would teach me how to properly care for people."

"And has it?"

"You tell me, how am I doing?"

A small smile appeared on the boy's face, "I think you're doing fine."

"Glad to hear it."

"I'm glad I'm not at the city hospital," Riki admitted. "They don't really care if you're dead or alive there."

Iason regarded that idea for a moment and had to agree. Everyone was quitting the smaller hospitals that provided the most ideal care and heading to the big ones in the city. There they would provide minimal care and receive better wages, which was exactly what the workers wanted. Do less work and still get paid more. No one wanted to care for one patient and touch their lives anymore, it was all about the money. But he kept quiet about it.

"If I were there, I'd probably be dead by now..."

That might be true...If Riki had been in that hospital he would probably be starving and in pain from the swelling in his spine. No doctor would have drained it properly and nurses wouldn't have cared enough to make sure he ate or had a catheter in. He would probably have died from infection or another cause if he had been in that hospital. "I'm grateful for you being brought here. I've been working with seniors my entire time here and it's a nice change to have a young man such as yourself in my care."

"Heh, glad I could be of use to you."

A sudden rumble in the sky dampened the mood, and both heads tilted upward to see that the sun had been covered by rain clouds. "Damn," Iason muttered, preparing to head back.

"Wait," Riki pleaded. "I don't want to go in yet..."

"We have to, if you stay out and get wet you can get sick or an infection," Iason advised, unlocking the breaks and pulling the chair back.

"No! W-wait, please!" Riki protested, gripping onto Iason's hand with his dark eyes glistening. "Please, Iason...I don't want to go in. Please."

"Riki..." Iason looked up to the sky, and then noticed that small raindrops were darkening the hospital gown fabric. "I don't want you to get sicker. I want you to get better."

"Iason, please." Riki looked up at him with imploring dark eyes. He didn't want to go back to that room and be cooped up again, he couldn't! Even with Iason there to remedy the situation, his chest still ached with sorrow as he thought about his parents and life. There was always a constant dark cloud looming over him that Iason tried to clear away, but being outside seemed to ease the pain more.

 _Damn him_ , Iason growled inside at the sight of the pleading dark eyes. He really didn't want Riki to stay out and get wet from the rain, but he also didn't want to upset him further. Iason knew that soon he would be given the option to see his parent's bodies before they were cremated, and that would definitely send him back to a depressed state. "Fine," he finally caved. "You can stay out. But I'm going to get an umbrella." In a swift motion he pulled up the blanket that was covering Riki's lower half. "Stay under the blanket and don't move, I'll be right back."

Riki watched him go, vanishing from his sight in a mere few moments as he ran down the pathway. The rain started to pick up a bit of speed, staining the color of the blanket darker than before. Riki leaned his head back and inhaled deeply, relishing in the scents of the purity around him. But soon he found tears in his eyes as the rain washed away everything except his mourning. A sob shook his frames as the rain started to beat down on his face, soaking his body and clothing. Why couldn't the rain wash away the accident? Why couldn't his sadness be quenched?

"WHY?" he screamed into the rain, sadness eating him up inside. "WHY ME?"

A warm embrace wrapped around him from behind and the rain suddenly ceased to meet his body. "Riki, I'm here. I'm here. Shhh." He gently caressed Riki from behind, gently running his hands along the soaked body. "You're soaked! I have to—"

"No!" Riki shrieked, suddenly trying to free himself from the chair. He nearly fell forward, but Iason caught him and pushed him back. "No, I can't—!"

"Riki!" Iason called, crouching in front of the boy in turmoil. "Riki, look at me. Look at me!"

Riki looked down at the blonde, his face framed in between the gentle hands. A new wave of tears dripped down from his eyes, "I...I...shouldn't be alive."

"You are alive, Riki." Iason buried his fingertips into the midnight locks. "You are alive and have every right to be alive. Your current situation does not mean it's over. You can get past this!"

The youth shook his head, "No, no...!"

"Yes, Riki, yes you can." He watched as the boy continued to deny it, he gently ruffled the black hair with his fingertips while cupping the tanned cheeks. "Riki. Please listen to me. I will help you get through this, you are not alone. All right?"

Riki closed his eyes and inhaled a shaky breath, "Kay..."

* * *

Iason hurriedly pushed him into the room, "I have to get you warm and clean, Riki. We can't risk any infections." He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the shivering boy before disappearing into the other room.

"S-so c-c-cold," Riki mumbled, hugging the warm towel with gratitude.

The blonde appeared again, and the sound of running water met the boy's ears. "Here, we'll get you into the bath."

Riki was wheeled into the other room and stared at the large tub and the water flowing into it. "H-how am I...?"

Iason unwrapped Riki and then went behind him, undoing the ties of the nightgown. Immediately Riki grabbed onto the fabric before it was lifted off and the blonde sighed. "Riki, I need you to let go of it. You need to get in the tub or you will get sick. There is nothing to be embarrassed about." Riki gritted his teeth, but let go and soon was naked. He avoided Iason's gaze as the man came back in front of him. "Grab onto me," he instructed, wrapping his arms carefully around Riki's freezing and damp body.

Riki grabbed onto him and then was lifted up, there was no pain and soon the warmth of water met his body. He sighed in bliss as the heat warmed him on contact, but then he tried to conceal himself.

"Here we go," Iason smiled, pouring a generous amount of soap on a wet sponge and went to work on scrubbing the boy's body.

"Woah! Wait!"

The blonde proceeded to scrub Riki's chest and worked his way down to his stomach, but was stopped by the boy as his hand was gripped. "What's the problem?"

"You...you don't have to scrub there!"

The devil inside Iason seemed to grin, "Oh but I must, you need to keep everything clean." He pushed downwards, surprised when Riki's grip tightened further. This boy was strong, not weak like the frail patients he was caring for before.

"I can do it!" Riki insisted, paling fast at the thought of having someone wash him down there. The catheter was embarrassing but this was just too much! "I can do it, so just let go!" Iason let go, giving the boy permission to do the task. Riki sighed in relief and started to move the sponge around his member and surrounding regions. He flinched as a warm hand wrapped around his and guided him. "Wha...what?"

"It has to be cleaned thoroughly," the blonde explained, guiding Riki's hand and helping him scrub the areas. "I'm not risking you getting an infection. It would be horrible to have an infection and the catheter at the same time."

"I wouldn't...!"

"I'm only cleaning, only cleaning," Iason soothed. "Besides, you have almost no feeling down here. So why are you protesting?"

"It's just that—"

"You're embarrassed?"

Riki pressed his lips together.

"I told you I was caring for seniors before, did I not? I've had to do the same for them, so believe me when I say that there is nothing to be embarrassed about." He guided the sponge to Riki's thighs, "If anything you should be proud that you possess something still usable."

"OK, OK, enough!" Riki blurted, biting back his embarrassment. "It just isn't what I'm used to! I can clean myself!"

"Nonsense, you're my charge and it is my job to see that everything is done perfectly!"

"But...do you really have to...?"

"Yes, I do. Now let me clean your back."

Riki sighed and obediently let Iason gently scrub his back so everything was clean. He was thoroughly embarrassed that he needed someone to care for him. What happened to his independence, was it forever gone?

* * *

"Here you are," Iason smiled. "I snatched you an extra juice. Don't tell." He winked and set down the tray before Riki. "You seemed to prefer that flavor, so I hope you don't mind."

Riki grinned softly, "Oooh, aren't you just a rebel?"

"I will admit I'm not one who breaks the rules regularly." He flashed another smile as he sat down on the backwards chair. "Baby steps."

The youth snorted, "If taking an extra juice is your idea of rule breaking, I don't think you would approve of me."

"Oh? And what have you done?"

"So much bad shit that I could be hauled to prison in a heartbeat."

"Hmm, interesting."

Riki flinched, realizing his mistake. "Y—you're not gonna...do anything are you?"

Iason leaned forward, "What is said in this room, stays in this room."

Riki nodded in approval. Maybe he could seriously come to have a friendship with Iason?

* * *

 _"We have his parents in the morgue," the doctor explained. "Ask your charge if he wants to see them before their cremation."_

Iason padded to Riki's room, his mind a turbulent sea of decisions. If Riki wanted to see his parents, would it send him into a deeper depression? Iason could tell that Riki was trying his hardest to keep his head above the water and not drown, and this could very well anchor him into the abyss of depression.

He knocked softly and entered the room, greeted by a soft smile from the black haired boy. "Can we go outside? The sun is out and it's not going to rain this time."

"Oh? How do you know?" Iason questioned gently.

Riki flicked through the stations to the weather channel. "Can we?"

* * *

"The sun feels so good," Riki sighed blissfully.

"Yes, it is quite nice."

Iason continued to push Riki, going on another path around the meadow view so there was more scenery and sunlight for the boy to take in since he seemed to love the outside so much. _Should I risk having him fall into a deeper depression? He does have the right to see his parents if he wishes._ Iason continued to agonize over the decision in his mind.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Pardon?" Iason asked, snapping back to reality.

"You're quieter than usual. What's wrong?"

Iason pressed his lips together. Well? Should he say it or not? He was obligated to inform Riki. But was it worth the risk?

"Hey...you're starting to scare me...talk..."

He finally stopped pushing and headed to the front of the chair, crouching before the boy. "Riki, do you wish to see your parents before they are cremated?" He gently clasped onto one of the tanned hands, "You don't have to."

Riki's brain seemed to do a loop, he didn't know if he should see his parents...they'd be paler...colder...corpses...

"You don't have to," Iason whispered, gently stroking the tanned fingers. "But it is your right to see them, they _are_ your parents."

Riki clutched onto Iason's hand, "Will you...come with me?"

A sense of happiness took over Iason, he would have gone with Riki for support regardless, but to have him ask was marvelous. "Yes, of course. I'll always be here for you, Riki."

* * *

"Are you ready?" Iason whispered softly, caressing the dark haired boy's inner arm.

Riki nodded, his lips pressed together in a firm line as he fought back tears.

Iason glanced at the man, "Can you leave us?" The man strode out quietly, leaving the two alone with the two white sheet covered bodies on the gurneys. "Are you sure you want to continue. You don't have to go any further."

"I'm sure..." the boy whispered, gripping tightly onto Iason's arm. "Lift it."

Iason carefully lifted the white sheet, revealing the pale face of a women and then a man. He rested his hand on the nape of Riki's neck, gently caressing the tanned skin.

Riki covered his mouth with his hand as hot tears spilled from his dark eyes. His other hand desperately gripped onto Iason's as his eyes took in the scene of his dead parents. He tentatively reached out and gently touched his mother's face, but pulled back as her once warm skin was ice cold. Their eyes were closed and their faces were surprisingly gentle, but thinner. It was almost as if he walked in on them sleeping, there was nothing that he could see that marred their faces. But their eyes would never open again, he would never hear the sound of his mother's voice, his father's laugh. It was forever gone except in his memory.

* * *

When the reached the room, Riki started to sob freely. Iason gently lifted him up onto the bed, but couldn't move back as Riki had remained clinging to him as if he were going to fall off a cliff. "They—didn't—uuuuuuu!" he incoherently cried. "Why?"

Seeing he was trapped in the hold, Iason sat on the edge of the bed and held Riki in his arms. He gently rocked the trembling boy in his arms while caressing his back with gentle pats. He didn't know exactly what to do other than give Riki his physical comfort, but it seemed to be working. After a while he began murmuring a few soothing phrases in hopes to calm the violently sobbing boy.

"I—have no—uuuuu one now!"

"I'm here for you, Riki," Iason reminded gently, running his fingers through the dark locks as Riki continued to wet his shoulder with salt tears. "I'll always be here for you."

"Don't—leave me..." he pleaded brokenly, desperately needing the reassurance that Iason wouldn't disappear from him too. He needed someone right now, and Iason seemed to be the rope that could free him from the pit of doom.

"Never," the blonde whispered. "I'll never leave you. I will stay with you as long as you want me."

"Thank you..." Riki answered so softly it was barely a whisper.

Iason leaned back and brushed his lips against the tanned forehead in a tender kiss, before resuming his position of letting Riki rest his head on his shoulder. "I'll always be here for you."

* * *

"Come on Riki, you _have_ to eat something," Iason insisted. "You barely touched your breakfast. _Please_ eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"Don't lie to me, I can tell you are."

"I said I'm not!" he snapped back.

Iason plunked down in his chair, "We are starting your rehabilitation soon, you need your strength if you want to ever walk again."

"Maybe I don't?" he snarled.

"So you want to remain stuck in this room? In a chair?"

Riki cringed, he hated that idea. He wanted to be free and on his own again. A pang of guilt started to seep into his chest as he realized he was not being fair to Iason, who had been there to support him from the start. "I...I don't..."

Iason's voice returned gentle, "Then eat something. I want to get you on your feet again."

"But I'm really not hungry..."

"Eat as much as you can," Iason encouraged, rising to his feet. "I'm going to talk to the therapist. You try to eat something, but don't overdue it."

Riki watched the blonde hair whisk away and disappear out the door, before he returned his eyes to the tray and cover. Iason truly had been there from the start and accepted him even in his broken state and tried to help him pick up the pieces. So far he owed Iason a lot. Without him, he would probably be in a ball and refusing to eat or talk. Something about him just made it so easy to want to be around him, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

He lifted the lid and saw two juice containers side by side and a sticky note reading: 'Baby steps!' He slowly reached out and gently grabbed one, a small smile finally forming on his face as he pulled off the sticky note. Baby steps, yes. He just had to take baby steps and he would get through this...

* * *

 **To Be Continued**


	3. Progressing Nicely

**Author's Notes:** Shit's about to get real. Hope you don't mind several things happening quickly. (Especially next chapter and possessive Iason will come forth as well!) Enjoy my readers~

* * *

Riki jolted awake, sitting up violently as he gasped for air while screaming. He dragged his upper body forward, trying to run away from the terrors around him. All around him was blood, glass shards, twisted metal. He was being crushed...!

"Riki! Riki!" Iason called, grasping onto the panicking boy. He pulled him gently yet firmly back to the centre of the bed as Riki tried to get out, forgetting he couldn't move his legs yet. "Riki, _stop_!"

Riki gasped, staring blankly at the blonde as he reached out to him in his delerium. "Help me... _help_... _me_...!"

"Shh, Riki," Iason calmly soothed, wrapping the boy in his arms. "Calm down, you're safe, you're safe now."

Riki sobbed in Iason's hold, grabbing tightly onto the blonde. He buried his face into the blonde's chest, staining the clothing with his tears. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...!"

Iason gently rubbed the boy's back, "You're safe, Riki. You're safe now."

The dark haired boy continued to shake in the gentle embrace, terrified and haunted by the dream of waking back up in the car. His parent's faces right in front of him, too white with crimson splatter dripping down. His mother's eyes stared lifelessly at him as she wheezed for breath. He shook his head, burying his face deeper into Iason as he tried to shake off the fear, but couldn't. He pulled the blonde closer, causing Iason to sit on the edge of the bed. "...Stay with... me."

Iason nodded, sliding next to Riki on the larger hospital bed, while cradling the boy's upper body. He gently kissed the boy's forehead. "I'm here for you."

Rik inhaled a shaky breath, trying to relax his body. He wasn't helping himself by tightening his muscles, it could cause damage.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Iason queried.

"No," Riki choked.

"Very well, then let's calm down." He gently ruffled the midnight locks drenched in sweat. "You're safe now."

* * *

"Come on, Riki!" Iason encouraged. "You can do it."

Riki's legs shook terribly as he supported his weight while gripping onto the parallel bars. "I...I can't...!" he panicked.

"You _can_ , Riki! Walk to me!" Iason urged.

Riki gritted his teeth, willing his legs to move, but they refused. "Can't...!"

"Do it Riki, or I won't let you go out of your room anymore!" Iason bargained, his tone unforgiving. "Take _one_ step and you're done, just _one_!"

Riki bit his lips, straining to move one of his legs. There was no chance in hell he was staying cooped up like a prisoner in that room, chained down by his injury. Finally, one leg moved about an inch forward before they both buckled under him. Immediately Iason rushed over and caught him in a gentle hold, guiding him so he wouldn't hurt his spine.

"You did it," he whispered to the trembling boy. "You did it."

Riki smiled softly. "Baby steps..."

Iason blinked before a smile splayed onto his face, "Baby steps." He kissed the sweat covered forehead. "You took your first baby step. How did it feel?"

"Hurt like a bitch," he grinned.

* * *

Riki inhaled the air as he Iason pushed his wheel chair further into the grassy opening and to the forest beyond. He had earned an outing, that was the deal. Every time he took a step, they would explore the area further.

Iason passed a small item to Riki. "Congratulations on your first baby step."

The boy blinked, grasping onto the black velvet box. He stared up at Iason, who simply nodded in approval. Riki opened the box, his eyes freezing on the linked silver bracelet. He traced the cool metal with his finger, feeling the texture. His eyes focused on the writing on the decorative charm. In elegant bold letters it read: **Fighter**

Iason reached down, taking the bracelet and putting it on the tanned wrist. He stroked the decorative words, admiring how well it looked on the boy. "Do you like it?"'

Riki gulped, feeling emotions welling up inside him. Iason was doing everything to help him, how could he even think of quitting? "Yeah... It's great." He looked up into Iason's eyes. "Thank you."

The blonde smiled. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

"But you didn't have to..."

"It's rude to deny a gift," Iason interrupted.

"Fine." Riki leaned back in his chair, the breeze blowing through his black locks. He reached up and grasped onto Iason's hand, "Can we go further?"

"If you wish," Iason agreed, pushing the chair through the grass and onto the path. "This area has a wider path and..." He pushed the chair off the path. "An orchard."

The boy gasped at the variety of blossoms that colored the section. There were apple blossoms, peach blossoms, and many others that produced blossoms that added to the colors that popped against the green leaves and grass. "Beautiful..."

"This was where the hospital used to get the majority of its fruit in the past, but now that there are less staff it has faded." Iason stared out at the no longer maintained trees and rows. Tall grasses surrounded the trees, threatening to choke the life out of the various fruit baring trees along with weeds.

"That seems like a waste..."

"It is... but they were given up on, just like the hospital," Iason agreed. "And now because of it, everything will suffer." He sighed, touching an apple blossom. "Everyone wants to do no work but receive higher pay. People have forgotten that compassion is needed instead of greed."

"Do you think it will ever change?"

"I'm afraid not," Iason answered. "Anyways, let's head back. It's almost lunch."

* * *

Riki sipped away at his juice box, "Will it hurt?"

"Possibly, it might hurt at first, but it will help and feel better later."

The boy sighed and nodded, "OK, let's give it a try."

"Excellent choice," Iason smiled, standing up to grasp onto Riki. "Just let me flip you over..."

Riki went limp, letting Iason guide him until he was lying on the bed. He felt the cool air expose his back as his gown was opened up and then heard the pop of a lid opening on a bottle, and turned his head back to see Iason lathering his hands with an oil or lotion. Then he felt the large hands touch his back along with a cool moisture, and soon he found himself relaxing.

He moaned softly as Iason found a knot in his shoulders and started to work it out, but then found himself floating blissfully. Soon the hands were working all the way down his back until they reached an area he could not feel very well because of the spine injury. But since there was no pain, it couldn't have been bad.

"My hope is..." Iason started, not stopping the movement of his hands. "That this will ease the tension in your back and allow you to walk better soon."

Riki winced, just the thought of walking hurt. His legs couldn't feel anything, but the moment he was attempting to walk, they broke out into tremors and spasms of pain. And when the therapist massaged his legs after, he hit certain points with feeling and they hurt! "How...often?" he asked, scared of the answer.

"Everyday," Iason bluntly answered.

"We're doing therapy...every single day?"

"Indeed," Iason confirmed, finally satisfied with his first round of massaging. He brought his hands back up to the boy's upper back and started with another technique.

"I...I can't do that."

"And why not?"

"It...It's so..."

"Painful?" Iason guessed. "It is, yes, but it's necessary if you ever want to walk again, Riki."

Riki gritted his teeth, this was not going to be a pleasant experience. He was used to pain, because he used to get in fights often when he was hanging out with his friends, but this was a whole new level. However, he wasn't a pussy, so he would take the pain if it meant recovering. If he survived this, he would pretty much be untouchable in any fight again, as none of that pain would compare to this. He sighed softly, letting himself relax into the massage of the parts of his back he could feel.

"I'm not weak," Riki growled softly.

Iason's hands stopped the massaging movements. "Then prove to me just how strong you are."

* * *

"Come on, Riki!" Iason demanded, attempting to fuel the boy into submission. "Where's your fighting spirit? Is that all you've got?"

"Shut..." Riki hissed, forcing his shaking limbs to step forward as he gripped onto the bars for support. "Shut the fuck up!"

"I will if you prove yourself worthy enough!"

Riki glared at the blonde, his furious obsidian eyes burning into the man. "Shut your..." He took a full step forward, "Goddamn mouth!"

Iason lurched forward, catching the dark haired boy as he fell. He grinned softly and whispered. "You did it."

Riki glanced upward, then realized he had taken a full two steps. "Y...yeah...haa...haa... I did..."

"Do you feel you're getting stronger?" Iason inquired.

Riki simply nodded, tired from just taking the few steps. He was grateful he hadn't had a severe trauma to his spine, or else he would've lost muscle mass and recovering would have taken much longer. But with his injury and Iason's superior techniques and knowledge, he was healing at a surprisingly fast rate.

"All right, I'll take you back to your room and give you a massage before a bath," Iason announced, carefully lifting the boy up into his arms. "And then I'll share a surprise with you."

* * *

Riki sighed, finally relaxing back into the bed now that he had the painful leg and back massage finished and was bathed. After inserting the catheter, Iason had vanished to get the said surprise and Riki wondered what it could be.

Iason had told him if he worked hard almost everyday, then he would regain feeling and be walking on his own again in approximately a month. That would be an extraordinary recovering speed, considering it might take almost a year to recover from injuries to the spine. Riki vaguely wondered if Iason's care and suggestions somehow increased his recovering time.

The door opened, revealing the blonde carrying a decorative box. He glanced over his shoulder and closed the door and ensured the blinds were drawn. "I'm not supposed to sneak in food," he grinned, setting the box before the boy and pulling off the lid to reveal a chocolate cake. "But I had a hunch that this would peak your interest."

Chocolate. Oh sweet God. Riki licked his lips as he eyed the cake greedily, skimming the words in blue icing that read: **Congratulations On Your Second Baby Step**

Riki chuckled, "If I hadn't taken another step what would you have done?"

"I would have probably given it to the cafeteria to distribute for the patients." Iason handed over a fork. "Dig in. You've earned it."

"I can't eat a whole cake."

Iason flexed an eyebrow, "Oh you can't? Then I'll help." He grasped onto another fork. "And what we don't finish I'll hide in the staff fridge."

Riki stabbed into the cake, "Why are you so..."

Iason raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So what?" he asked, lifting a fork load of the chocolate cake to his lips.

"Care takers aren't supposed to be this involved," Riki murmured.

The blonde shrugged, "We have a system here to care for our patients and I always go beyond the requirements." He paused for a second. "And it's nice to have someone lively rather than the elderly people I've always cared for."

Riki smirked, "I'm not old, that's for sure." He took some more cake. "How old are you?"

"Twenty eight," the blonde answered casually, causing Riki to nearly choke on his cake. "Surprised?"

"You're ten years older than me..."

"Does it bother you?"

"N...no..." Riki stammered, shoving cake into his mouth. "I'm jus shurprised that shomeone as young ish you is in this job."

Iason grinned. "I've always been in the top of my classes and knowledge. I worked hard to get where I am today."

Riki drooped slightly, realizing that he had worked before too, but not in the same way as Iason. He had sold drugs, led a gang, fought others to gain his reputation, as opposed to Iason who worked hard for his goals.

When Riki had left the slums to go live with his parents again, it was because they had found him a job so he could make something more of himself. And now he was ruined.

"Riki..." Iason breathed, gently placing his forehead against the tanned one. "It's all right."

Only then did Riki realize he was crying. "Fuck...sorry..." he growled, swiping at the tears.

"It's all right," the blonde repeated. "Do you want to take about it?"

"No, I'm fine."

Iason nodded and settled back down, only to rise back up again as someone knocked at the door frantically. He opened the door to find the head nurse on the verge of tears. "What's wrong, Carla?"

"Iason, it's terrible!" she cried. "They are shutting down the hospital!"

* * *

 **To Be Continued**


	4. Tangled Web

**Author's Note:** Yo! Been awhile. Enjoy and review. ❤

* * *

"They cannot just..." Iason protested, catching the head nurse as she almost crumpled to the ground. "Carla, how are they going to shut down the hospital so abruptly?"

"I..I don't know, Iason," she sobbed. "I heard that we are being sued!"

Iason closed his eyes for a second. "I'll be right back, Riki." He stared at the now worry filled obsidian eyes. "I will figure out what is going on, so do not fret."

Riki stiffly nodded.

Carla hurried down the hall, stopping at the nurse's station to regroup with a few of her closest work partners and discuss if the rumor was true what would happen to them. Iason headed down the hall, straight to the Director's office and knocked once before opening the door.

"Ron," Iason greeted softly, his eyes quickly observing that Ron was completely distressed, sitting at his desk with his hands tugging his hair. So the deed had been done already. "What's happening? The nurses are in a panic."

"We have been bought by the city hospital," Ron grimly explained. He looked up to Iason, the emotion nearly leaking from him. "I had no choice. They said they'd sue if we didn't give up. They believed we were stealing their possible clients. And we are too far in debt as it is, Iason."

Iason grimaced, knowing the hospital could never afford to be sued. "What happens to the patients?"

Ron hung his head lower, "They'll be transferred to the city hospital by the end of the week."

Panic coursed through Iason, but he kept his calm exterior. If Riki was sent to the city hospital he would never recover, and he wasn't about to let all of his efforts and progress go to waste. "And what about us?"

"You all will be placed in the appropriate positions if you are required."

"I can't do that, Ron," Iason explained. "My patient will be left to die if I transfer him there."

"What are you suggesting?"

* * *

Riki couldn't sit still. He was petrified of having to leave the hospital and be transferred to the main city one. He would die! He would die due to the lack of caring provided. Nobody would probably rehabilitate him properly like Iason was, meaning he'd forever be a cripple! Oh God, no! He would have to rely on someone for everything! He couldn't do that! He wouldn't do that! He'd rather die than have to be taken care of and never be independent again!

Gentle hands caressed his face and he stared with wide eyes into the soft blue ones. "It's OK, Riki. Breathe, in and out. It's going to be OK."

Riki trembled, grasping onto the blonde as he panicked about his future. He then realized he was near hyperventilating as Iason pressed an oxygen mask gently to his face and patted his upper back softly. "I'm...die..."

"I'm not letting you go to the city hospital," Iason whispered, gently hugging the young man. "I'm not letting you go."

Relief flooded over Riki at the words that were whispered to him. Iason wasn't going to let him die, even though he wasn't obligated to help him. "Where...what'll...to me...?"

"Do not worry, Riki," Iason soothed. "I have a plan for getting you out of here and taking you somewhere safe." He laid Riki back down against the bed. "Now rest and calm down."

* * *

"You want to discharge him?" Ron inquired. "But he's not healed, Iason."

"I'm going to take responsibility for him," Iason explained.

"You're going to take him to your home?"

"Yes," he answered. "I'm going to rehabilitate Riki and then I'll release him."

"I cannot legally..."

"The hospital is shutting down, Ron. Patients are going to be transferred left and right."

"You want me to turn a blind eye to you taking charge of him?" Ron demanded softly.

"He has no other chance of surviving and recovering, Ron." Iason leaned forward on the desk. "You know as well as I do."

* * *

Riki finally woke up from the mild sedative that Iason had given him. They had foregone therapy today as there was too much chaos in the halls and Riki probably wouldn't be able to concentrate."Hey..." he whispered weakly.

"Are you feeling a bit better?" Iason inquired, just as softly.

Riki nodded. "I'm kinda hungry though..."

"I'll go get some food for you, all right?" Riki nodded and then Iason stepped outside the door, nearly walking into a suited man. "Pardon me."

"Is this Riki's room?" the man inquired.

Iason's brow furrowed, "Yes, it is. And you are?"

"I'm Derek. I work for Elite Bank," the man explained. "I'm here to get the signature of Riki so that the bank can reposes his home, possessions and parents accounts to pay off their debt."

Iason's eyes widened. "You do realize that the young man in this room just experienced a horrific incident, do you not? And you are going to be no help to him."

"I apologize, Mr...?"

"Mink, Iason Mink."

"Mr. Mink," Derek commenced. "The bank has been waiting months for the payment and it is long overdue. I'm sorry, but I need that kid's signature."

"I...I don't understand," Riki whispered, trembling as he overheard the conversation from the partially open doorway. "We finally got out of debt."

"I'm afraid not, boy." Derek answered to Riki through the crack, holding up the documents. "I need your signature."

"Excuse me," Iason hissed, ripping the papers out of the man's hand. "I need to have a word with you."

"My business is not with you, Mr. Mink, but this boy."

"You're disrupting and distressing my patient," Iason defended, towering over the man. "Get out this minute." Derek obeyed, heading out the door and pausing in the hallway. Iason opened the door wider and looked to the trembling and overwhelmed Riki, "Calm down, everything will be fine, Riki."

"Mr. Mink..."

Iason whipped out a pen, signing the documents with his signature and information in the appropriate spots. "There you are, Sir," he hissed bitterly. "Now take that and get out of here immediately."

"You're going to pay off a patients debt?" Derek questioned.

"Why would that be of concern for you? The debt is paid, now get out of my sight."

Derek nodded, accepting the papers and headed down the hallway and to the exit.

Iason sighed, opening the door back up again. "I'm going to..." he started, but then noticed Riki was on the verge of hysteria. He closed the door and headed over, sitting down on the bedside and grasping onto Riki's hand. "It's going to be all right, Riki."

"Why is this all happening?" he softly demanded, his eyes glistening. "What the fuck did I do to deserve all of this?"

"Riki," Iason breathed. "It's not your fault. I know it must seem like the world is falling to pieces around you, but I will make sure you are placed in the best of places."

Riki swiped at his teary eyes. "I don't have enough money to pay the debt."

"He's gone for the day," Iason lied. "He agreed to give you a bit more time to acquire a financial solution."

"I thought he needed it now?"

Iason grinned. "I can be very persuasive."

"A...and the hospital?"

"I am going to work on that as well," Iason explained. "You have no reason to worry, Riki. It's my job to care for you until the very end."

* * *

"When are you going to take him, Iason?"

"Are you going to provide transportation?" he questioned back.

"I will see what is available," Ron agreed.

"As soon as I can," Iason decided. "I want him out of here before we start moving other patients."

Ron flipped through a few pages. "Today. There is one ambulance available within the next few hours." He looked up to Iason. "All of the others will then be transferring the patients to the city hospital. This is your only option."

* * *

Iason set the food tray down. Carefully he punctured the juice container with a straw tip and then inserted the small pill into the opening before inserting the straw again. If Riki did his usual regime and drank his juice, he would be unconscious within twenty minutes after the consumption and Iason could wheel him out and have him transported to his home.

Picking up the food tray, he started down the halls to Riki's room. This plan had to work, if it didn't, Riki's only chance of being rehabilitated would cease to exist. And if Riki found out what he was doing, he most likely would refuse, so it had to be this way!

Iason stepped into the room. "Food's here."

Riki nodded and observed the items on the tray. "When is everyone being moved?" he asked quietly.

"That depends on how the patients are prioritized in regards to injuries," Iason answered, watching as Riki automatically when for the juice container and took an unsuspecting sip. "But I am working on transferring you to another hospital that is a bit further away."

Riki hummed. "How far away?"

"A different city."

"And...it's not like the city one?"

"No, this one will be better and is one you can trust." Iason continued to watch as Riki took a few more gulps of the drink. "But it's only a matter of time before the main hospital forces all of the smaller hospitals to shut down. The more patients they get, the more money they can drain from people." Even Iason hated how the main hospital was run, it was corrupted and in desperate need of repair. There was no way Iason would let him go to any of the smaller ones nearby, nor the main one, which left only one option.

"I've never heard of another one other than the main city one," Riki mumbled.

"It's a brand new hospital, but I assure it is run by someone I trust."

Riki nodded, reaching for the perfect crust less sandwich on his plate. He eagerly bit into it and was surprised at how good a sandwich could taste from a hospital. "How do you know the person is trustworthy?"

"I have known them for many years," Iason grinned.

"If this hospital is brand new, how come I've never heard of it?" Riki questioned.

"It's not open yet," Iason shrugged.

"Then where..." Riki started, but was hit with a wave of disorientation. "Where...I..."

Iason gently laid Riki back against the bed and placed the mask over his face. "Do not worry, Riki. I am going to ensure you are taken care of."

Riki's eyes slowly closed. "Ia...son..."

* * *

He pried open his eyes, a dull headache pummeling his brain. Riki looked left to right, skimming his surroundings to identify where we was exactly. He could see an elegant white paneled ceiling and gentle blue walls; the right side of the room was brighter than the rest. In one spot he could see the top of an ornate picture frame, but that was all. He tried to speak, but his throat was parched and his words ended up sounding like a moan.

"Riki?" a familiar gentle voice called.

Riki felt a hand caress his cheek. "Where am...I?"

Iason grinned. "This is my home."

"Y...your..." Riki began, but was too confused. "Why am I...?"

"Ask questions later," Iason advised. "Just rest for now."

Riki nodded slightly, closing his eyes.

 _I'm not letting you go, Riki._ Iason declared mentally. _You are tangled in a web fate has woven, and you can't escape me now._ He reached out and stroked Riki's cheek. _You are mine now._

* * *

 **To Be Continued**


	5. Polar Opposites

**Author's Note:** To whichever Guest left a message about a drawing, please PM me and we can exchange emails. I would love to see your work! ❤ I am sorry this chapter is a filler! But I have a message for you all:

 **PLEASE READ THE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE UPDATE. THE DIRECTION OF THIS STORY IS IN YOUR HANDS BECAUSE I WANT YOU GUYS TO BE A PART OF THIS STORY!**

* * *

Riki peeled open his eyes, his body still feeling sluggish from whatever drug he was administered. Fear seeped into him as he stared around the unfamiliar room that was now dimmed, where was he again? He moaned pitifully, shifting his listless arm up from the bed a few inches before letting it fall. "I...Ia..." he grunted, his throat grinding together painfully.

Light footsteps approached, and a gentle hand met the tanned face. "Riki," he softly smiled. "Here." He reached out of the boy's view and held a straw to the pale lips. "Drink this, it will help the drugs pass."

The dark haired boy obediently drank the liquid, because he felt as if he would die of thirst if he was not granted something to quench it. He screwed his face up at the bitter taste of the liquid, which made Iason laugh.

"I know it does not taste the greatest," he agreed. "But it will help you recover, Riki." He adjusted the straw. "Come now, drink a little bit more."

Riki twisted his head away from the straw, the taste was too bitter to even remotely be accepted into his mouth again willingly. There was no way he wanted anymore of it, he wanted water or juice, something he could trust.

Iason sighed, "Very well. I am still your caretaker and you need this, therefore I will use force."

 _What does that_ _—_ _?_ Before he could even finish his thought, Iason's lips were against his and his mouth had been gently pried open by a skilled tongue probing around. "Mm...Mnnnf..." Riki mumbled, trying to gulp down the invading liquid that was pooling into his mouth from the blonde. He felt a stream of the liquid trickle down his chin as there was too much for him to swallow while being taken by surprise. He gasped as Iason pulled away and started to form a question with his baffled brain, only to have it vanish as once again he was giving more of the liquid mouth to mouth.

Finally Iason, pulled back and licked up the trail dripping down from the boy' mouth. "That should suffice." He set the container down on the bedside table, and then softly brushed his hand over the tanned forehead. "Do you feel better now?"

Riki took a moment to gather his thoughts and form a coherent sentence. "What...the hell was that?"

Iason merely shrugged. "You refused to take your medicine, so I had to make you. Remember Riki, I am permitted to provide you with _everything_ and _anything_ I believe will be beneficial to your recovery."

"I didn't..."

"Yes, you did," Iason interrupted. "Now, I am sure you are hungry, so I will call my servant and ask for a meal. Do you have any preferences?"

"Servant?" Riki questioned back. Why did Iason have a servant? What kind of family was this guy from?

"Yes, servant. A person who is employed by another, especially to perform duties asked of them," Iason defined. "And judging by your lack of caring towards the option of what to eat, I will tell him to get you the dishes served for dinner."

Riki's head felt like a merry go round, so many questions spinning about that needed to be answered. Why was he in Iason's house? Why did Iason have servants? What was going to happen to him now? He didn't know where to begin with his list.

* * *

"What am I doing here?" Riki inquired as the steaming hot plate was placed in front of him by Iason.

The blonde paused, but regained himself just as quickly. "If I left you at the hospital you would have been shipped off to the main hospital." He looked Riki dead in the eyes. "I wasn't about to let everything we've accomplished go to waste."

"Why?"

"Why?" Iason repeated.

"It's not your job to do all of this," Riki bluntly stated. "You're just my caretaker, why should my success matter to you?"

"If you recall," Iason started, sitting down on a chair next to the bed. "I've only had senior citizens in my care until you arrived. And when I learned of your situation, I was drawn in and wanted to rehabilitate you."

Riki blinked. "So you're just doing this on a whim?"

"I wouldn't call it a whim," Iason disagreed. "Well, not a total whim. I really do want to rehabilitate you, Riki. I have become fond of you."

Riki felt a light blush paint his cheeks. "Still think you're overdoing it. What about when I'm rehabilitated? I'll just vanish from your life and you've wasted time and effort."

"Perhaps, or maybe I'll ask you to stay and work with me so you have a proper job instead of gaining your income from illegal gang activity?"

Riki flinched, knowing that it was true. And he had even wanted a job outside of the gang leadership, because he had grown bored of it all. Speaking of gang, he wondered how they were doing without him?

"You must eat now, Riki," Iason reminded. "Or else I'll have to force you to do that all well."

Riki grumbled something under his breath, picking up his fork and stabbing it into something that looked like it was from a high end restaurant. Seriously? what kind of family did Iason belong to?

"I only want you to eat so you get better," Iason defended, leaning against the bed on his elbows. "Surely that is understandable and not unreasonable?"

"Aure yu riff?" Riki asked, his mouth full.

"Am I rich?" Iason translated. "Well, I'm not poor, but I'm no means royalty."

 _So you are rich_ , Riki commented internally. He had always had a bad encounters with the richer people who had somehow bumped into him while he was out working. They were always so distasteful, and they acted as if everything they wanted was effortlessly in their grasp. It made Riki sick. Here he was working his ass of because he refused to go home, and the others looked down upon him because he actually had to earn his money in such a dirty form. "Speaking of money, what the hell happened to the debt guy? He said he needed that money, so when is he coming back to get me to sign the papers?"

"Don't worry about that," the blonde answered, shrugging it off. "I dealt with it already."

Riki froze, his fork slipping from his hands. "What? What do you mean you 'dealt with it'?"

"It's simple," Iason sighed, sitting up. "I paid off your debt."

Riki found himself incapable of speech.

"I'll make sure you earn every dollar of it," Iason reassured, his hand snaking up to Riki's. "So now you can agree to staying by my side after you're rehabilitated, right?"

"Wha...what the hell am I going to be able to give you that can pay back the debt?" Riki questioned, visibly paling as he stared into the blue eyes that were darkening. "I...I'm only a gang leader..."

"We can coordinate something at a later time," Iason assured, giving the tanned hand a squeeze before resuming his casual sitting position. "Now eat before your food gets cold."

Riki found himself no longer really hungry, but he stabbed reluctantly into his food again after retrieving his fork. How could this man so easily pay off his family's debt? How _much was_ the debt? How was he going to _work off_ the debt? He hated being indebted to others, which is why he left home, because all his parents seemed to was rack up debt and he wasn't willing to be part of it. "Iason..." he started, only to have the man silence him.

"Do not dwell on it, Riki," he scolded. "I have already said we will discuss at a later time. And by later time I mean when the time comes in which you are recovered to a degree where you do not need me for everything." He stared at Riki with his azure eyes. "I highly doubt there is anything you can do in your current state, therefore we will continue the rehabilitation and then we can figure out how to diminish the debt, understand?"

"Fine," Riki agreed bitterly, taking in a mouthful of the food from the plate as he glared back at Iason. "But I plan on paying it back as soon as I can. It's not my style to leave debts unpaid."

"That's good," Iason nodded. "That means you'll work hard. Now finish eating and rest again. It is just past 3:30 in the morning, so you are a bit off a normal schedule. I will have to wake you at a decent time so you can regain your body's natural internal agenda."

* * *

Riki sighed deeply, shifting his head again to catch a glimpse of the dawn sky from the window next to him. Iason had adjusted his bed so he could eat, and Riki insisted he leave it at the angle it was so he could actually see. The sky was a mesmerizing royal purple with a splash of navy blue and a hint of grey all layered in the sky. From the dim lighting he could see that the massive windows were encased in an elegant white trimming and were deep so one could sit on the ledge and lean into the window itself.

Now that he actually paid attention, the whole room was somewhat elegant. The blue walls, white paneled ceiling, an elegant painting, soft gray laminate flooring that had a section of white carpet surrounding the bed and the resting area which was a few meters from his position. The resting area had white sofa chairs and a soft gray loveseat and a television above a white trimmed fireplace. Everything gave off a calming vibe that somehow actually worked on Riki, the colors lulling his turmoil.

Iason rolled over in his bed, and Riki shut his eyes and tried to pretend he was sleeping. Damn this perceptive blonde! As if being in the hospital bed next to Iason's bed wasn't bad enough, the blonde was watching him like a hawk. "Riki, I know you are still awake."

Riki groaned, "I can't sleep anymore. I'm actually starting to feel sick trying to sleep."

"That will not do," Iason declared, rolling out of his bed and slipping into a robe. He walked over to Riki's bed, moving the IV pole away from the gurney and then started to pull Riki across the floor and stopped him in the middle of the resting area. He handed him a remote, "Here. This will help."

Riki watched Iason leave him behind and could hear him dressing. "Where are you going?"

"To get a wheelchair for you," he answered. "So in the morning I can take you on a tour, and so we can get you to the rehabilitation room." There was only the sound of clothing shifting for a moment. "The sooner we get you on your feet, the better, right?"

"Yeah..." Riki mumbled, turning the television on only to be amazed at the millions of channels suddenly available. There were foreign stations, movies and everything in between that he could only dream about watching. "Wow..."

Iason appeared beside him. "You can watch anything you want. I should be back within an hour, as I am going to stop and arrange a few more things before I get your chair. Behave, all right?"

"There isn't much else I can do," Riki reminded, pointing to his legs. "Crippled, remember?"

"Just do not try and get out of the bed," Iason instructed. "If you need assistance, use this." He handed over a smaller remote with a large button and then several small ones. "It will contact a servant who will come aid you, and then they will notify me. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," Riki grumbled. "But I'm not gonna move." His eyes skimmed the channel menu, picking out a movie he had really wanted to see. "Can I watch this?"

"Of course." Iason took the remote and typed in a password and suddenly the sound of the introduction to the movie encased the room through hidden surround sound speakers. "There is also this for you." He pulled up a high table with a package of snack food and juice boxes. "Be good while I'm gone."

Riki couldn't help at be amazed at how different Iason and his world's were. Everything seemed to be at this man's fingertip while Riki was scrounging to get by in life. It only made him wonder what Iason would want from him as payment for his debt.

* * *

 **To Be Continued**

 **A/N:** Hello peeps! I need your help! This is an AU fic if you haven't notice, therefore I am proposing an option! Riki is going to endure some training as a pet for Iason, and I need you peeps to tell me who should be the "Furniture" or "Servant" in this world for this fic to help train Riki. The options are between Katze and Daryl. We can go for the regular story line and have Daryl, or we can switch it up and have Katze. It's up to you guys. If no one says otherwise, I will just go with Daryl.

Please lemme know soon as I will be updating this story soon (as in like a few days)~ Much love from Kaminx ❤


	6. Developing Strength

**Author's Notes:** I am undecided on whether Daryl will make an appearance now. And now I'm kinda...stuck...Please don't leave me ;-; ❤

* * *

Iason stepped into the room, a satiated smile crossing his face as he observed Riki who was lost in an intense scene of the movie. Not wanting to ruin the moment, he subsided on the edge of his bed and watched the scene play out. Soon the credits were rolling, so he rose and walked over to Riki while pushing the wheelchair. "Did you enjoy the movie?"

Riki snapped back to reality, "Y...yeah. That was pretty..." he mumbled, lost for words to describe the production. "Awesome."

"I am glad you enjoyed it," Iason smiled, then patted the chair. "Your chariot awaits you."

"Ha ha...very funny." Riki rolled his eyes. "Are you gonna lift me down by yourself?"

"That was the plan," Iason nodded. "Grab onto me, Riki." He guided Riki's arms around his neck. "OK, here we go." Carefully, he lifted Riki down into the wheelchair and then situated all of the cords and tubes properly so he was only affixed to the chair. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He gritted his teeth and stared down at his useless limbs. "Still no fucking feeling."

Iason crouched in front of Riki's wheelchair and reached out to pat his thigh. "You will, as long as you continue with your rehabilitation and allow me to assist you in your recovery."

Riki averted the blue eyed gaze. "Yeah..." He paused for a moment and then finally looked to Iason. "I've never really said thank you for all of this. I really am grateful."

A tidal wave of pleasure crashed over the blonde, "You are very welcome," he smiled. "You can prove how grateful you are by working as hard as you can to walk again."

* * *

"I think you were lying when you said you weren't very rich," Riki noted, his eyes skimming the hallways that were just about as elegant as Iason's room. He observed a painting of pink, grey and white roses that looked so real it was almost as if they were really there. "How many more rooms are left?"

"Only one more," Iason assured. "And it is one you will frequent regularly."

Riki raised an eyebrow, wondering what room that could be. He physically drooped as Iason opened the door and revealed the rehabilitation room.

"The best for last," Iason cheerfully explained, catching Riki's dismayed reaction. He applied the brakes to the chair and walked around to crouch in front of the dark haired boy. "We are going to get you walking, but in order to do that you need to commit to it. I understand that the pain is excruciating, but if we don't get your legs moving on their own you won't be able to walk ever again."

"I know..." Riki sighed.

Iason stroked the tanned hand within his own, "I'll be here for you every step of the way. I'm not giving up on you, so don't you dare give up on me."

* * *

Riki gritted his teeth, holding onto the parallel bars so tightly his knuckles were white. "Kuuh..."

"Come on, Riki! Just one more step," Iason encouraged, standing at the end of the platform. "You can do it! Just one more! Don't tell me you're giving up already?"

"Shut up!" Riki growled, so frustrated and in pain to the point where he was on the verge of tears. He finally took a step forward, before his legs lost all of their strength. As always, he was caught and supported by Iason.

"Easy, easy!" Iason soothed, catching the sweat drenched boy. "You did it, you're making progress, Riki." He lifted the boy up carefully and placed him back into the chair, wiping away the tears. "You did good."

Riki finally relaxed, his body utterly exhausted just from the few small steps he took. "Fuck..." he whispered.

"You can't rush these things, Riki," Iason consoled. "That's why if we do a bit more each day, it will allow your body to adapt to the change and prevent permanent damage."

Riki shivered at that reality, if he pushed too hard he'd fuck himself over, if he did too little he'd remain crippled. "Will the pain ever lessen?"

"Yes," the blonde answered. "And I have a few massage and stretching exercises that we can do when you need a break from walking. I'd actually like to try one on you when we get back to our room."

 _Our room?_ Riki thought to himself, but brushed it off. "As long as it gets me back up and walking again and makes walking not feel like having swords stabbing into my spine, I am all for it."

* * *

Iason pressed his hands into the toned, tanned skin, massaging deeply and working out the knots. He smiled softly as Riki moaned and sighed, the pain fading into pleasure and relaxation as the tension dispersed. "You can feel more of your lower half," Iason noted. "The first time I gave you a massage you couldn't feel this part." He slid his hand down Riki's body, landing at the rise of the two fleshy globes. "Can you feel this?"

"I have...no idea where you are touching," Riki mumbled. "Should I be concerned?"

"Not at all," Iason answered, gliding his hand around one toned ass cheek and giving it a light grope. He then resumed his massaging, ever so carefully rubbing the area that was hurt in the accident. "It seems like the wound itself is recovered, and..." He tapped around lightly with skill. "I'd say in about a week you'll be able to walk the length of the platform."

Riki raised his head, glancing back. "Are you kidding me? I've taken like three...four tiny steps."

"It is said that if a patient does not get walking within a month that damage will remain permanent." Iason continued to knead the areas that were in need of tension relief. "I know it has not been too long, but I don't wish to delay your recovery. Therefore, I am going to push you to your limits, Riki."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Riki murmured, too deep into the relaxing massage to even comprehend what was being said. "I'll do whatever...it...takes..."

Iason chuckled at the boy who drifted off to sleep. "Whatever it takes, hmm?" He slid his hands up Riki's side, watching as he shifted slightly as he was touched in the places he had feeling. "I don't think you know what that entails..."

* * *

Riki winced, gritting his teeth as Iason moved his right leg up against his body and held them there for three seconds before doing the next one. "Fuuuuuck, that hurts."

"That's good," Iason answered, returning to the other leg to repeat the action. "If you feel pain now that means there is more feeling. When we did this the first time you had no feeling at all."

"Uurgh," Riki groaned. "It's fucking stupid."

" _Riki_." Iason looked into the boy's eyes with a hard gaze. "Would you rather not be able to walk at all?"

"Hell no."

"Then stop complaining," Iason sighed, pulling the leg back to it's straight position in his lap. He started to massage up to leg, surprised when the limb jolted as he touched an area. "You felt that?"

"Barely," Riki answered bitterly. "Ever since we started this rehab here my legs have been twitching."

"That _can_ be a good sign."

"It feels fucking weird. I can barely feel it but it feels like there is a jolt of electricity running up my leg."

"That confirms my suspicion, your legs are trying to remember how to have feeling so they're sending pulses to the spine which is connected to your brain which controls your movement," Iason explained, glancing up at Riki.

Riki paused, "That means..."

"Your recovering quicker than expected," Iason confirmed, smiling softly. "Well, that's it for today so how about a bath to wash the sweat off?"

* * *

Riki moaned at the heat of the water, the warmth soothing his aching body as he was set down into the large tub. He let Iason adjust him so he wouldn't hurt himself without knowing and then relaxed as gentle jets started and massaged his body. "I always used to wish we could afford one of these when I was younger," Riki admitted with a laugh. "Never imagined I'd be sitting in one as a cripple."

"You can sit in it when you can walk again just so you can say you've sat in it without being a cripple too." Iason wet the washing cloth and started to run it down Riki's back, but unlike the hospital one, this tub was surrounded by a tile layer which made it a little bit difficult. "Hmm..." Iason saw his opportunity.

"What's wrong?" Riki asked, peeking open one eye. There was no response, only the sound of fabric shifting, causing Riki to turn his head around only to see Iason walk past him nude. "What are you doing?" Riki couldn't help but let his eyes wander to the limp member hanging between the man's legs and feel a bit intimated at the size.

Iason slipped into the tub, crawling over towards Riki and positioning himself next to him. "I need to wash you properly, but I can't do so with the tub being deeper and having taller sides." He poured a generous amount of soap onto the wash cloth and raised it up. "I won't bite, I just need to get your body cleaned."

"How are you—" Riki started, but was amazed at how Iason managed to position him before somehow snaking behind him. He glanced back to see Iason calmly sitting behind him and then saw the pale skinned legs slip onto either side of him. "How the hell?"

Iason started to lather the tanned back, moving the cloth around in circular motions, ignoring the confused Riki. "This is how I will have to clean you every time we bathe now."

"Why can't I just do it _myself_?"

"You might not get everything cleaned properly," Iason dismissed, dipping the cloth into the water and rinsing Riki's back. "And you might hit a sensitive spot." That wasn't true, the wound had healed up, but what Riki didn't know wouldn't hurt him. "Would you like to hit the injured area hard enough to be permanently paralyzed? You never know how sensitive the nerves can be..."

"Fine," Riki agreed. "But I can clean the rest of my body."

"Not a chance," Iason denied. "I must ensure you are absolutely clean. If you were still in the hospital, nurses would be cleaning you and you would have to bear with it."

"Fucksake, are all caretakers this annoying and demanding?"

"Only the best ones," Iason grinned. "Lift your arm for me."

"I can wash myself," Riki demanded.

"You are ten years too young to disobey my authority," Iason scolded, tapping the left arm. "Now raise your arm."

Riki looked back to the blonde. "You're ten years too old to boss me around, _old man_."

Iason bit back a laugh, he was beginning to love Riki's smart mouth. No one had ever talked to him this way. "Old man, hmm? Well this _old man_ is in charge of you and this _old man_ disapproves of that kind of behavior." He snaked his hand around and down Riki's waist and grabbed onto the boy's flaccid penis. "Perhaps this _old man_ should punish you?"

* * *

 **To Be Continued**


	7. A Flicker Of Love

"What are you doing?" Riki demanded, grabbing onto Iason's hand which was surrounding his penis. "Let go of me!"

Iason wrapped his other arm around Riki's upper body, both stilling him and giving a small grope to the tanned chest. "Don't thrash around, you'll hurt yourself," he warned, lightly stroking the protesting boy's limp member. "Why are you so upset, it's not as if you can feel anything?" He gave a squeeze. "Or can you now?"

"No, I can't feel it!" Riki hissed, trying to pry the slender fingers off. "Let go, dammit! This is sexual assault!"

"I'm merely trying to examine your lower half for feeling," Iason purred in Riki's ear. "There is no assault here."

"You..." Riki was stunned as he felt a flash of heat jolt through his lower half and he shivered slightly. "You said this was punishment!"

"I'm killing two birds with one stone." Iason squeezed the boy's penis which was failing to harden. "Hmm, seems it's not responding as it should..." He slid down further, grasping onto the two balls, shifting them in his hand.

"Stop!" Riki protested, trying again to free himself to no avail. He could feel something, a dull sensation of heat that could barely pass off as arousal—and it frightened him somewhat. He was getting aroused from this attack! "Iason, please. _Stop_!"

"Oh very well." Iason withdrew his hand, but grabbed the washcloth and continued to scrub the body before him. "You honestly felt nothing?"

"It felt disgusting," Riki lied bitterly, trying to calm his heart. "Don't fucking touch me again."

"That's impossible."

"Why?"

"I still have to catch you when you fall," Iason listed. "Scrub your back and body, give you massages and comfort you when you have nightmares."

Riki gritted his teeth. "Don't touch me the way you just did, dammit!"

"As you wish," Iason agreed. "Now lift your arm for me to clean it."

* * *

Riki panted, slumping back into the chair in exhaustion. "How many was that?" he questioned, looking up to Iason tiredly.

"You almost made it to the end of the platform," Iason grinned. "You're a bit behind schedule, but you're managing nicely."

Riki nodded, leaning his head back in his chair. Since the day he had scolded Iason, the blonde hadn't made anymore moves on him. Riki was still horrified that he would've reacted if his manhood had been functioning properly. That was what made him so mad in the first place.

"I have a meeting," Iason revealed. "Meaning I will leave you in the hands of my servants while I am absent."

"What kind of meeting?" Riki inquired.

"I am going to be working at the new hospital after you've recovered," Iason answered. "So I have a bunch of paperwork and whatnot to do. You know, meeting all of the people and then having an area assigned to me. All the boring aspects of the job."

Riki nodded, sighing as he waited from Iason to release his brakes so he could wheel himself out the door with the blonde on his heels. He had fought hard to let Iason to let him have this much independence. "When are you coming back?"

"I won't be back until very late." Iason walked beside Riki, glancing down at him. "The servants will assist you in any way you need while I'm gone. Don't hesitate to ask anything of them."

"Got it," Riki agreed.

* * *

Riki finally relaxed, his body exhausted from the rehabilitation and still damp from the shower.

"Be good while I'm gone," Iason smiled, giving his hand a squeeze. "Don't fight with the servants."

"Yeah, yeah," Riki agreed, waving him off. "I'll see you when you get back." He grabbed onto the television remote, flicking it on and then proceeded to skim through the channels, debating what to watch until Iason returned.

About halfway through a movie he picked, Riki glanced up to see a servant enter. It was a young boy with sandy blonde hair, a fairly cute face even without an expression and somewhat interesting grey shade of eyes.

"Who are you?" Riki asked.

"I am Daryl," the boy introduced, shaking slightly by the intimidating gaze upon him. "I am Master Iason's servant and your personal caretaker."

Riki skimmed him over again and then nodded. "Can I get a drink?"

"Yes of course," Daryl answered softly. "What would you like?"

"Juice would be cool," Riki answered, glancing over from the screen to him.

"I will get it right away," Daryl answered, hurrying back the way he came to fetch the drink.

Riki turned his attention back to the movie, laughing a bit internally at how Daryl reminded him of a scared bunny in amidst of a wolf. Maybe...he could use that to his advantage sometime.

* * *

Daryl helped him down into the chair using the technique that Iason had taught him. "Are you certain you must be in the chair? I'm unsure as to how I will get you back up on the bed." He covered his lower half with a blanket.

"I need to move around a bit," Riki insisted. "Or I'll go crazy."

"I will accompany—"

"I wanna be alone," Riki denied.

"I cannot do that," Daryl insisted. "Master Iason instructed me to be present with you at all times."

Riki glared. "I want to be _alone._ "

Daryl hesitated. "I'll contact him, and see if you have permission to do so."

" _Permission?_ " Riki hissed. "I'm not a fucking child who cannot wander off."

"But—"

"He's my _doctor_ , not my _Master,_ " Riki growled. "You're the servant, not _me_. Now _move_."

Daryl mustered up his bravery. "I _must_ contact him to gain his approval. Please wait here." He turned, going to the far side of the room and pulling out a cellphone which he dialed Iason on.

Riki watched for a moment, then looked to the door. He slowly inched forward, glancing over at Daryl who suddenly started talking to the person on the other end and was immersed in the conversation. seeing his chance, he sped up and wheeled to the door.

"Wait, Master Riki!" Daryl cried, his eyes widening in terror as the boy closed the door behind him.

Riki turned the lock and backed the chair up, listening to the frantic sounds of the servant on the other side. He felt a bit bad for doing it, but hell he wanted to be alone just for awhile. "Sorry man, but I ain't a prisoner." He started towards the lift that would take him to the lower levels, and tapped the button for the bottom floor.

* * *

The cool evening air enveloped him, soothing him immensely as he slowly wheeled down the pathway. It had taken a bit of effort to get out, the house was a maze in itself and he passed several maids who he thought for sure were going to stop him. But now he was outside and free...and craving a cigarette _so very badly._

"Shit," he hissed, wheeling out of the house's limits and down the sidewalk. He wheeled himself for what seemed like forever and looked around, debating what course of action he should take next to get himself a pack of cigarettes as he was lost. He could probably find some convenience store around, and maybe buy some. "Fucksake..."

He wheeled further down the sidewalk, then turned the corner, turning to look back as he saw a black car pull up to the sidewalk very quickly. He peeked around the corner, seeing Iason hurriedly get out.

"Shit!" he whispered, ducking out of sight and wheeling down the sidewalk as fast as he could and then turning into a partial alley. He strained his ears, hearing Iason call out for him as he ran down the sidewalk.

"Riki!"

He had no reason to really hide from Iason, but something warned him to stay put. He really did just want to get some fresh air, but it almost seemed as if Iason were keeping him captive. Perhaps it was just for his safety though?

"Riki!" Iason called, his voice getting nearer.

Riki cringed, praying that he wouldn't be found.

"Hey you," a voice from behind him purred. "What are you doing?" Riki turned around, spotting a young man who was wearing flashy clothes come out of a doorway from one of the buildings in the alley. "You...you look familiar."

"Riki!" Iason called, turning the corner and spotting him. "There you are!"

Seeing Iason, the boy turned and went back into the doorway he had come. "See ya around," he tossed.

Iason grasped onto the chair handles, huffing. "Why did you leave?"

"I wanted some air," Riki protested, then paused. "How the hell did you find me? I have no idea where I am, how did you find me?"

"There's a tracer in your chair," Iason answered bluntly. "Every chair has a tracer in it. In case patients with Alzheimer's or dementia manage to wheel away."

Riki glared at Iason. "What the fuck," he hissed. "You're fucking treating me like a prisoner!"

"You are not," Iason assured. "It is only for your safety."

"I don't need to be tracked like a dog who ran away," Riki protested. "I was just getting some air! I finally got out of the hospital and wanted to roam on my own! It's hard having my independence stripped!"

Iason paused, but nodded. "I understand, but Riki." He knelt down in front of him. "You do realize we are in the rougher part of the neighborhood, do you not? You could have been jumped by someone just for a thrill."

"How the hell would I know that?" Riki spat. "I don't live here. And so what? I can handle myself, I grew up in the Hood."

"Not with a damaged spine, you couldn't," Iason denied, rising and then guiding Riki's chair. "We are going back now."

"Wait!" Riki protested. "I wanted some cigarettes!"

Iason frowned. "What a horrible habit."

"Shut up," Riki growled. "I've done it since I was little, so I _need_ it."

"All the more reason to quit," Iason advised, pushing him towards the vehicle that was coming closer.

"What the _fuck?_ " Riki growled. "I can do as I please!"

"As your caretaker, I object."

"You...!" Riki snarled, fighting as Iason began to pick him up. "You can't control my life!"

"Hold still, or do you wish to be paralyzed and lose your independence forever?"

Riki stilled, grinding his teeth and crossing his arms as he pouted, but didn't fight anymore. He never said a word the entire ride home.

* * *

Iason adjusted Riki's pillows on the bed so he was comfortable, after he had cleaned him off and inserted the catheter for the night. The whole time, Riki had refused to speak. "Come now, don't be angry with me."

"I just wanted a damn cigarette and some fresh air!"

Iason sighed. "I will order you some cigarettes, but I am going to monitor your intake. I don't want you to get any sickness because of a nasty habit."

Riki blinked. " _Really_ , you'll get me some?"

He nodded. "Just tell me the name tomorrow and I'll get you some. Would that please you?"

"Y...yeah."

"Good, now please sleep," Iason whispered, tucking the blankets around him. "We will be working hard tomorrow."

* * *

 **To Be Continued**

 _A/N: Before you guys scream OCC Iason (if you are upset by the softer side), please relax. It's part of a plan **.** I have rethought the story a bit, and Iason is still going to be kinder. Because Riki & him need to have bonded and gotten close enough so when a certain something occurs, it will shake things up. Please, stay with me. _❤


	8. Stay Close

Riki panted, sweat dripping down his forehead as he stepped onto the next platform square. He ground his teeth, grunting in pain.

"Come on, Riki," Iason encouraged, readying himself to catch the youth. "Good boy!" He caught the dark haired boy, deftly propping him up and moving him to a soft mat. "Well done."

"Are we done?" Riki murmured, his chest heaving as he breathed in relief.

Iason scribbled down the details of the successful workout, pleased that Riki had gone beyond his expectations and was recovering beautifully. He had completed the original platform, and the extra square Iason had secretly placed in. "Almost. We are done all of today's walking activities, but now we must stretch," he answered, smiling gently as he completed his notes and set them aside. "I dare say you improved overnight."

Riki snorted. "If only." He closed his eyes as he felt the blonde kneel down and began bending his leg. "Fuck...fuck that hurts...!" He glared with gnashed teeth at the blonde who was pressing his right leg to his chest harder and for longer than last time and let out a cry.

"I apologize," Iason murmured with a grunt, but didn't stop and continued to do small side movements while the muscles stretched. "But you worked harder today... therefore I...must stretch your legs more to ensure progress continues!"

"Ughn!" Riki groaned, uselessly clawing at the mat in pain. When Iason finally lowered his leg, he huffed frantically, nearly sobbing from the agony. "Please...don't." He couldn't bear to go through it twice. This pain was horrible, worse than any broken rib or bone from fights.

Iason grasped onto the next leg, pushing it up regardless of Riki's plea. "I must," he sadly answered, using the same force he used on the first leg. He pushed it up, holding it there for s moment before doing small sideways movements while Riki cried out in pain. "Please...bear with it."

Riki started to cry, his lower half aching immensely as his spine tried to reconnect to his legs. He screamed, the tender muscles spasmed in pain while trying to regain normal function. "Can't...!"

Finally when it was time, Iason lowered Riki's leg and then immediately moved to the youth's face. "I'm sorry, Riki," he soothed, noting how the dark haired boy clasped onto his slacks. "I know that hurt. I'm sorry it hurt, but I had to or your legs will never become usable again." He gently ran his fingers over young man's arms as Riki covered his face. "Please try to understand."

He waited until Riki quieted down, smiling as the hardened demeanour of the boy returned and he swiped at his tears. "You said it would get less painful," he hissed.

"Yes, I did."

"Fucking liar."

Iason smiled softly. "It will lessen," he promised, gently caressing the youth's arm. "But first we must cause the worst pains so that your body can become stronger."

Riki sighed. "Are we done yet?"

"Just a few more stretches and massages," Iason replied. "It won't be as painful as the ones we just did."

"OK," Riki huffed. "You'd better not be lying."

—

Riki hissed and then sighed in bliss as he was lowered into the warm water. Today had been the worst session, he was hurting so badly, but Iason had done everything to make it hurt as less as possible.

He was so relaxed now, closing his eyes and leaning back and not caring that Iason slipped in behind him. Soon he felt the wash cloth slide over his body, carefully cleaning all areas that were once at risk of infection.

"You really don't need to wash me," Riki protested, trying to sound irritated but was way too relaxed to seriously protest. He hadn't felt this good since he had been with his lover.

"But if I don't wash you properly you might not get everything clean," he reminded. "Would you like your wounds to fester? You can't feel them, but I can see them."

Riki definitely didn't want that, and he definitely couldn't see his back. "But I can clean my other areas," he grumbled.

Iason paused in his cleaning. "What's this? Are you still shy?" he teased, sliding the washcloth down to encase Riki's cock and stroke it.

"Woah, hey!" Riki growled, grasping onto Iason's arm. "You said you wouldn't...!"

"Hmm?" the blonde purred, eyeing up the slow rising member. "You're getting hard. Can you feel it?"

Riki grunted, once again finding himself trapped in Iason's hold around his upper body to still him. "St...op...!" he huffed, watching in disbelief as his organ began to fill with blood and expand. "I...impossible! I can't...I can't feel...!"

"Shh, let's see what happens," Iason soothed, continuing his agonizingly pleasurable movements.

"You...you said...!" Riki groaned, the washcloth sticking to his uncut member and gliding up and down. He felt a warmth in his stomach, one he was very familiar with and started to panic. "I...Iason...!"

"I'm not touching you," Iason countered, his voice rumbling in the youth's ear. "The cloth is preventing me from touching you."

Riki gripped onto the blonde's arm around him. "Can't...can't..." he panted, staring up into the blue eyes. "Why is...!"

Iason landed a gentle kiss upon Riki's forehead. "You're recovering," he assured, speeding up the movements with his free hand. "Your body is reacting. This is good, let it happen."

The boy then noticed his thighs began to twitch increasingly as he felt his stomach clench with desire. "Gonna...!"

"Yes," Iason whispered, watching intently as Riki wound tight then uncoiled with a jerk. He held tight onto the mongrel, preventing him from bumping his spine as he ejaculated. An arch of white spattered up onto the tanned chest while the youth panted, his body limp with satisfaction. "Good boy."

Riki huffed, his head laying on Iason's shoulder. "Why?" he breathed, his voice thick with sex. He was shocked that he had come so fast, even with his lover it took him a bit. Why did he come so fast?

Iason simply smiled, wiping off the boy's body. "To see if your body had feeling," he answered. "And to help you release. A healthy young man such as yourself will not function as well while pent up."

"Ass," Riki hissed. "You said you wouldn't touch me..."

"I did it with the best intentions," Iason objected, putting the cloth on the rail. "Will you not overlook my small indiscretion?"

—

Riki slumped unhappily in the chair, sighing as he stared out the window while Iason took a call in another room. He could see over the ledge thankfully, and looked out at the green grass, trees and fountain around the driveway.

He wondered where his gang was? What they were doing? Were any of them looking for him?

He sighed, wondering if Guy knew what had happened to him? Had he stumbled upon the obituary section of the newspaper? Was Guy frantically looking for him? Why hadn't they found him?

"Riki?" Iason called softly, approaching the quiet youth. Riki turned to look up at Iason, his eyes clouded with questions and yearning. Iason inhaled a soft breath, looked out the window, then pulled a pack of the requested cigarettes out of his pocket. "Do you want to go outside for a bit?"

—

Iason sat down on a bench next to Riki's chair, while the mongrel inhaled his lit cigarette. "Riki, remember how I offered you a job to pay me back after you've recovered?"

Riki tensed, having secretly feared to know what the man wanted. He exhaled. "Yeah?"

"If I find a job for you," he started. "You will need to be committed to it. You don't seem like the unenthusiastic mongrels from the slums, but I'm warning you that laziness won't be tolerated." He then added. "And if you try to take off with your earnings, I will find you and be very unhappy."

"I'm not lazy!" Riki hissed. "If I have a job, I'll do it, no questions asked. Why would I run from a chance to earn money?"

"Splendid," Iason grinned. "That's good to hear." He leaned back as Riki took an aggressive smoke. "I assure you, Riki, if you work for me you will never live in the slums again."

—

Riki laid in the bed, his arms over his head and his eyes pinned to the ceiling bathed in a strip of moonlight. The day had gone well, Iason had wheeled him through the backyard garden while he smoked and gawked at the weird shades and shapes of the plants.

Iason had even said that by next week, he should be able to go out of the mansion limits with him. Iason assured Riki that by next week his back should be healed to such an extent that any uneven ground or bumps would not have any effect on him should they be encountered. Riki liked that idea a lot, getting out of the mansion territory for a bit.

"We could go into the downtown of the city?" Iason offered, pushing him along slowly with a soothing rhythm. "Have you ever been to any performance hall, museum or gallery?"

Riki snorted. "They don't let poor people in," he retorted. "And I never had enough cash to get in anyways." He added. "I'm not sure I'd care enough to go in either."

Iason nodded, understanding. "Well we can go wherever you want, within reason."

Riki sighed, glancing over at Iason's empty bed next to him and the chair beside him. He couldn't shake the feeling that his gang might be frantically looking for him. He really wanted to go ensure they were all right at the least. He wouldn't stay long, he just needed to do a count, see that they were all breathing.

But he didn't want to upset Iason, not after all he'd done. He wouldn't. He would just go check on his gang, then hurry back before he was noticed.

Riki grabbed onto the side of the bed, carefully maneuvering himself across the mattress. He then lined himself up to the chair and took a deep breath. He just had to slide carefully into the chair, just slide veryyyy carefully.

It took him a moment to move himself slow enough into the chair so he didn't bump his spine too much, but he managed to get in. There was a slight sting in his tail bone, but it faded just as fast as it came.

With a shaky exhale, Riki positioned all of his tubes and his catheter into the proper places before wheeling himself to the door. He knew how to get out, but he would have to pass Iason's office to get to the lift.

He wasn't trying to upset Iason. He was just checking up on his gang, his lover. He would return right after he saw them, Iason would never know. If Iason found out he would just explain, apologize and make it clear he wasn't trying to sabatogue himself or their friendship.

Riki then realized how close he was becoming to the older man. He felt safe with him, comforted, relaxed. Not to mention the man was fucking beautiful from head to toe. Especially his blue eyes, blonde hair and gorgeous skin. Iason was very attractive, and he treated Riki like a human. But he already had a partner, Guy. Guilt was eating at him for growing so close to the blonde when he had a partner he had been with for so long.

Riki opened his door, peeking his head out and checking the dimly lit hallways. No one was around, so he wheeled as quietly as he could down the hall. The carpet under his tires did wonders to mute his movements. All he had to do was control his breathing.

The chair came to a snail crawl, Iason's office door coming into his radius. He held his breath, wheeling the chair absolutely silently past the door after a few moments of slow wheel turns. When be reached the end, he exhaled shakily and then adjusted his hand position for a faster tire spinning stride.

He felt a tug on his chair handle, and immediately his stomach tightened. He stiffened, glancing back and up at a very unhappy looking Iason who was staring down at him. "Riki?" he darkly spoke, coming into the hall more. "Where are you going? It's past midnight."

Riki's throat felt closed off at the coldness in the blue eyes. "I was...going..."

"Going where?" Iason demanded, tightening his grip on the chair. When no reply came from the mongrel, the blonde shook his head. "I see. So you were planning on going back to the slums?"

"No! I mean, yes and no!" Riki panicked, helplessly eyeing up the lift. "I just wanted to check on my friends! I was going to come right back, I swear!"

Iason caught Riki's shoulder as the mongrel leaned forward to get out of the chair. He squeezed it tight, pushing him back into the chair. "Riki," he hissed, moving fluidly around the wheelchair and crouched before the mongrel. "Did you think about what would happen if your gang saw you? Did you think they'd let you come back?"

"What?"

"What if an enemy gang or gang member saw you?" he pressed on. "Do you think they'd let you live? The notorious Bison gang leader, crippled and unable to fight properly. Why would they let you live?"

Riki stiffened, having not thought of that. He just wanted to see if his gang was all there. "I...I...I didn't..."

"You thought you could just wheel yourself away after taking a peek?" Iason sighed, shaking his head. "Riki, you need to have more self preservation than this."

"I just wanted to see my gang," Riki admitted sullenly, realizing the flaws in his plan. He raised his fury filled dark eyes to Iason's face. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"No," Iason answered calmly. "It's not. But you are not well enough to do so at this time, can you agree with that?"

Riki grumpily nodded. "I got it," he grumbled.

"Good," Iason frigidly praised, then took hold of the chair and guided it back to the room. "Now let us go to bed."

"Wait! I want to at least smoke!" Riki protested. "I've been up all this time and...!"

Iason opened the door, pushing Riki into the room and then putting on the brakes. "Absolutely not," he denied, then started to detached the catheter and tubes from chair. "You are going to bed. You have more physical therapy tomorrow."

"No!" Riki protested, squirming when Iason tried to pick him up. He winced at a pain in his back, but pushed away from the blonde. "You don't...!"

"Enough, Riki," Iason hissed, scooping up the youth like a child so he was seated on his arm with the other tightly around his upper body. "You're going to hurt yourself! You're going to bed and that's final."

Riki tried to wiggle, but Iason wouldn't budge in his grip and all the mongrel was accomplishing was making himself tired. "I'm not a child! Let go!You can't treat me this way!"

" _Stop_ it, Riki!" Iason commanded, pressing his forehead to the mongrel's in the familiar motion. " _Stop_." He stared into the close dark eyes, captivated by the raw anger in them. "Did I not say I would keep you safe? Care for you? Give you a better shot at life?"

"You did, but—"

"Then why are you so set on rushing ahead and ruining everything?" Iason demanded, his voice icy. "Why would you risk your life and future in such a state? Do you not care about what I would think even if you returned miraculously unscathed?"

"I didn't think I would run into trouble!" Riki argued.

Iason pulled back, clicking his tongue before he set Riki onto the bed and his stomach. "You don't think," he hissed, carefully pulling down the youth's shorts and then his top up. "You just act then accept the consequences later."

"Hey!" Riki half-assedly wormed his way forward a bit, ceasing when a sharp pain in his lower back caused him to jolt. He glanced back as Iason grasped onto his side gently. "What are you doing?"

The blonde brought down the small syringe, jabbing it into a space in the mongrel's lower back. "You need to relax before you ruin yourself," he simply said, tossing the needle aside.

Riki became furious, but was unable to move aside from flailing his arms as Iason pressed down on his shoulder blades. He spat out insults left and right, fearfully noting that his limbs were becoming unable to move, but he still had feeling somehow. "What did you do to me?" he fretted.

"I only gave you a mild sedative," Iason assured. "I'm not trying to make you upset, Riki, but you need to be in a better state of mind before you make plans to return to the slums." He slid his hand under Riki's chest and then his lower half, moving the mongrel so he was straight on the hospital bed. "I would never wish further harm or death upon you, Riki."

Riki wanted to cry tears of frustration, even though he knew Iason was speaking the truth. He probably would've died if he tried to go to the slums tonight, but his heart ached to see his gang and he was willing to do anything to see them. He buried his face into the pillows, his hot tears staining the fabric.

Iason gently removed Riki's clothing, untangling them from the catheter tubes while humming softly. Then he grabbed a bottle of oil, slicking his hands and proceeded to massage Riki's back in the familiar pattern. "Tsk, you've tensed so many muscles," he scolded, working each and every one of the knots and tense places out carefully. "You foolish little fire eater."

Riki didn't answer, still mourning the loss of his freedom and hopes of seeing his gang. He sniffled softly, burying his face into the pillow and tried not to moan at the blonde's massaging skills.

After he had dealt with the mongrel's back, the older man slid his hand down to the toned, fleshy globes. He slid his hand along one, glancing up to see if Riki would react. When no protest or signs of reaction came, the man went further. He slicked his hands up with more oil, trailing his fingers along the inner portion of the ass. Not breaking eye contact with Riki's relaxed face, he parted the ass cheeks, then lowered his gaze to admire the small bud hidden between. He slid one of his fingers inside, mesmerized at how it sucked him in further — his charge was definitely not a virgin.

A mischievous grin flickered upon the blonde's lips. So his wild pup had mated before, hm? Well that didn't matter, it just meant he would have to bring Riki greater pleasure than he had received prior. It also meant that Riki was not afraid to bottom, which made Iason extremely happy, because now he knew Riki had potential in the bedroom. He would now just have to get Riki to the point where he wanted to have sex with him after he recovered.

Iason landed a smack to the mongrel's ass, causing the youth's head to raise in confusion.

Riki glanced back, unable to feel the sting of the smack and was too relaxed and disoriented to understand what the sound had come from. "What?" he murmured.

The blonde glanced up, massaging the boy's leg. "Pardon?" he inquired, innocently.

"What... was that sound?"

"Oh," Iason sounded, reaching down and picking up the oil bottle. "The bottle fell. Sorry if it woke you."

"S'okay," Riki mumbled, his head too heavy to keep up. "Hmnphhhh."

Iason finished up quickly, wiped off the oil residue from the tanned body and then chuckled as he stroked Riki's sleeping face. "Goodnight, Riki," he whispered, kissing the youth's forehead before he pulled the sheets over him.

—

Riki opened his eyes slowly, the tail end of a mild wave of disorientation passing swiftly over him. "Iason?" he softly called, raising his head up.

Iason rose from the lounging spot in the room, setting his newspaper aside. "Good morning, Riki." He ran his hand down the sleep warm face. "How are you feeling today? Sore?"

"No," Riki replied, sighing sleepily. "I'm hungry though."

"What would you like to eat?"

"Do you have sugary cereal?" Riki questioned, and Iason had to bite back a laugh as the mongrel looked like a young boy asking the question.

"I shall see," he agreed, then added. "Just this once though."

Riki closed his eyes, a content smile on his face. "If you don't I want pancakes with lots of syrup."

Iason smiled that time, shaking his head at the sweet tooth the mongrel had acquired. "I will go see," he promised. "Then we will do our daily therapy. And you must push yourself, Riki."

—

Riki collapsed, straight into Iason's expectant arms. He panted tiredly, his body sending pain signals to his brain as his legs tried once again to reconnect and complete their functions.

"Good boy," Iason praised, planting a gentle kiss to Riki's temple as he lifted him to the soft mat where they would finish the session with stretches again. "You did so well today."

"I did?" Riki wheezed, sprawled back against the mat.

"Yes," Iason smiled, turning his back to grab onto his memo board and scribble down notes. "You've completed the platform length. Now you just need to get to the end of it every time."

"Really?" Riki breathed, eyes wide as he covered his face with his hands. "Finally." His eyes suddenly snapped open as he realized he was laying down for stretching. "Iason, please."

Iason shifted into the position. "Riki, I must. You need to stretch your legs more and more now that you're gaining feeling."

Riki shook his head, plotting which way he would scurry to. He had completed the hard walking task, but it seemed like stretching hurt the most sometimes.

"Riki," Iason admonished. "Don't try to fight me."

"Iason, it really hurts to have it done twice!" Riki protested. "Is there nothing else that can be done?"

Iason sighed, seeing the look of terror that the thought of the painful stretch brought to his mongrel. "Very well, I will see what I can do," he agreed, rising up and leaving Riki sprawled out. He briskly moved out of the room, leaving the mongrel to a few moments of relief.

Riki sighed, closing his eyes and counting out his heartbeat. He then felt the pinging of his spasming muscles as they tried to gain feeling, but all they caused was pain. He scowled, wishing so badly for all of this to be over.

The door opened again and this time Iason entered with a tall, lanky redhead with a scar on his face.

"Just push his leg back, then do a circular motion," Iason instructed, then gripped the redhead's arm and pushed it up so his hand was to his shoulder. "This much pressure, Katze."

The redhead nodded, then assumed position next to Iason and in front of the left leg.

Riki's upper body flinched, "Who is this?" he demanded hostilely.

"This is Katze, my main assistant," Iason answered swiftly. "Grab the leg like this."

Riki shook his head. "What are you doing now?" he demanded.

"Stretching you," Iason answered, glancing over at Katze. "Yes, just like that."

"But I thought we were going to find—"

"Ready?" Iason questioned to the assistant, then counted to three and together with the redhead they pushed Riki's legs up against his chest—hard.

Riki screamed, trying to get away from the agony, but found himself unable to as his sweat practically glued him to the mat. He writhed, pleading with Iason through sobs to stop the pain. It increased as together the two started to move his limbs around in different motions in sync.

It felt like forever he was in agony, his spine filled with sparks of pain and pain fluttering in stabs in his lower half.

Finally after Iason had done the first stretch and a few others while directing Katze did they finish. Iason nodded to Katze, dismissing him, while Riki sobbed in utter agony as his legs twitched uncontrollably.

"Shhh," Iason soothed, peppering soft kisses to the mongrel's face. "It's over, it's over. You were so good. My boy can be so good."

Riki continued to cry in agony while shocks of pain pulsed through his legs. He clutched onto the mat, refusing to accept Iason. "I hate you...!" he sobbed.

Iason sighed, gently stroking the boy's chest with a soothing caress. "Riki, I know stretching is painful, but it needs to be done," he reminded. "And with Katze's help it lasted half as long as it used to."

"But it hurt...twice as bad," Riki protested, noticing that his legs had patches that ached, not just disappearing spasms.

"But it's done now for today," Iason assured. "And now that you've completed the length of the platform, it won't be long until you're healed."

"Really?"

"Yes," Iason answered, gently leaning down to kiss the tanned forehead. The tips of his tied back blonde hair tickled Riki's face. "You did very good today."

Riki shifted his face away. "Why...do you kiss me?" he inquired, trying not to blush.

Iason smiled. "Does it bother you?" he inquired back. "Am I making you uncomfortable? Should I stop?"

The mongrel averted his gaze further, because hell no he didn't want it to stop and it only bothered him a bit. He enjoyed Iason's encouraging and soothing kisses, to the point where he always hoped to get one. "No," he replied softly. But he felt guilty again, because he was cheating on Guy.

"Wonderful," Iason purred, leaning down and planting a kiss upon the plump lips. He then pulled back, after giving them a soft lick. "Because I enjoy it too much to stop."

Riki shivered, because he didn't want it to stop, he wanted Iason to keep going. His whole world was slowly turning into being with Iason. And Riki didn't feel like it was a completely bad thing at all.


	9. Steps of Success

Riki stared absently ahead, watching the water drip out of the tap. Each drop fell, immediately consumed and dominated by the depth lurking below. They had all succumbed to the pull of force from the water underneath, giving into it's command and unifying with it to become something much greater. The mongrel splashed his fingers through the water, observing the few beads of moisture that clung to him, but ultimately glided down and rejoined the body of water around him.

"Riki?" Iason softly called, ceasing in his scrubbing of the tanned body. He gently caressed the youth's cheek, analyzing the trouble look upon the beautiful features. "Are you in pain?"

"No," Riki denied quietly, but his heart inside was suffering with conflict - and it was right alongside as painful as his rehabilitation. He felt his body touch the blonde's hot skin behind him, and his heartbeat increased.

The blonde gently turned his head to him. "What's wrong then?" he whispered.

"Nothing," Riki lied.

Iason just smiled knowingly, leaning in and kissing the soft lips. "Liar," he purred, but then pulled back. "Fine, don't tell me."

Riki felt his lips quiver, but he bit down on them before sliding his tongue along their surface. "There really isn't..." he mumbled.

"Riki, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"But I want to!" Riki assured, then averted his gaze. "Do you...like me or something? You're so damn protective of me. And it's beyond patient and caretaker."

Iason smiled gently. "Is that what's troubling you?" he whispered, wrapping his bare arms carefully around Riki's upper body and resting his hands on the bare chest, his fingers nearly touching the perked nipples. "I admit I've grown very attached to you." He leaned close to Riki's ear. "Do you love me, Riki?"

Riki blushed, flinching from the cool breath. "No!...I - I mean..." he panicked.

"There's nothing wrong with having feelings for me," Iason soothed, caressing the youth's chest and rubbing a nipple experimentally. "If anything it would bring me nothing but satisfaction to have our relationship be mutual."

"I'm not sure if I do!" Riki quickly returned, clasping onto Iason's arm. "I mean...I depend on you right now because I'm healing, so maybe it's just a-affection or some bullshit from that." He sighed. "I don't dislike you. But I can't say for certain if I like you until I'm healed and able to be independent."

That thought stabbed Iason's gut, as he preferred having Riki near him. He worried about him and what would happen if he went back to the Slums. Iason just wanted him to stay within him and never go too far from his reach. "You're almost healed," Iason reminded. "So we will know soon if your feelings are caused by your dependence on me or are truly how you feel."

"Yeah..." Riki agreed, then watched as Iason began scrubbing his body again gently with the cloth. Part of him felt relieved to have said his troubles, while the other half was angry he had spoken so freely with the blonde. Never would he have done that with anyone.

The accident and Iason's rehabilitation had changed him.

ー

Riki inhaled deeply, and then gripped tightly into the bars. He forced himself to take a step, surprised it didn't hurt. He took another and another one, each step feeling as if he were growing lighter.

He looked to the end of the walk and there were two path attachments. Guy stood at the end of one of them, calling out to him while his gang were two feet behind him.

"C'mon Riki! We need our leader back!" Guy encouraged, his arms open wide.

Riki took a tentative step forward, but then he looked down the other path and saw Iason. He was standing there almost humbly, his eyes just watching him. He opened his arms to Riki, and smiled gently.

"Riki," he called, his voice silky smooth. "I love you. I want you to have nothing but success in whatever you do."

The mongrel gulped, averting his eyes shyly. He tightened his grip on the bars for a moment, then took a step forward, heading to Iason.

Guy frowned, casting a glare at the blonde. "Riki! Don't forget who you are! How could you betray us for him?"

Riki shook his head. "It's not like that!" he protested. "He was there!" He huffed. "He was there. Where were you?"

"Riki, come on man."

"Where were you?" Riki screamed. "You didn't come to help me! You didn't even try to find me!" He pointed to Iason. "Where were you while he took care of me?"

Guy flinched. "We couldn't find you," he answered. "We couldn't find you and didn't even know where to begin looking!"

"Bullshit!"

"Riki," Iason breathed, directing the angry mongrel's attention back to him. A look of hurt crossed over his face and he looked away.

Riki blinked, feeling his heart ache as Iason took a step back. "No...wait," he whimpered, moving forward to Iason. "Iason!"

"Youd chose him over us?" Guy objected, pulling out a knife and charging at Iason. "You can't have him!"

"No! Guy, stop it!" Riki screamed, watching in horror as his legs gave out and he couldn't get to Iason. He watched as the blonde was brutally stabbed by his partner, and the other gang members joined in and started kicking the fallen and fatally wounded blonde. "NO! NOOOOO!"

ー

"Shh, Riki," Iason soothed, gently holding onto the youth's face. "You're OK, you're OK."

Riki opened his eyes, gasping for breath as his eyes darted around the room. His eyes then focused on Iason, who was unharmed. "Iason," he breathed, the end cut from him gulping saliva down his parched throat. "Iason..."

"Yes, I'm here, you're safe," Iason assured, softly kissing his forehead. "You're safe and warm. You're in bed, not a vehicle. You're safe."

The mongrel realized that Iason believed he had dreamt he was in the car accident again, which was a relief as he didn't want Iason to know his true dream. "OK," he whispered. "OK..."

"Just relax and rest, OK?" Iason insisted, brushing the black bangs with his fingertip. "It's still early."

Riki nodded, then watched Iason turn to go back to his bed. He sighed softly, reflecting on the dream. It had been a week since Iason had said he loved him. And beyond that, the blonde hadn't said it again, but kept kissing and softly touching him. "Iason?" he called softly, catching his hand.

"Yes?"

"No, it's nothing, good night," Riki dismissed in a panic, letting the blonde go and then hugging onto the blanket.

Iason frowned slightly, but did not question further and moved back to his bed. "Good night," he returned, but kept his eyes on the silhouette of his charge.

ー

Riki stepped onto the platform, took a deep breath and then took a step. He blinked as there was almost no pain, and took another one, his eyes on his feet.

Iason watched, a smile creeping out onto his face as the youth was walking without any signs of pain. "Come on, Riki," he encouraged.

The mongrel looked up at him, nodding in determination and then moved forward more. Half way, he gained more courage and chanced letting go of the bars. He shook for a moment, but then regained himself and took a step.

"Yes! Yes, Riki!" Iason beamed, his hands clapping together. "Yes my boy, you can do it!"

Riki took a deep breath and took another step, his legs trembling, but there was feeling. He could feel his feet touching the ground and taking each wobbly step. "It's working!" he cheered, feeling overwhelmed that all his work had paid off. "Iason!"

He finished off the platform, collapsing into Iason's waiting arms as his legs decided he was done. "I did it! I finally did it!"

Iason gave him a squeeze in his arms. "Yes, you did it!" he praised. "You're almost recovered, Riki." He kissed his forehead. "I'm so proud of you."

Riki blushed. "It's...it's all cuz of you," he mumbled shyly. "If you hadn't been my care taker I would've been crippled still."

"That's only a fraction of the reason," Iason denied, carrying him to the stretching mat. "It's you who did all this. You never gave up and you gave it your all."

"Yeah I guess..."

Iason smiled at his embarrassed behaviour. "I think this calls for a celebration," he purred. "I think it's time for a change of location."

Riki blinked. "A change of location?" he repeated, dumbfounded. "What does that mean? You mean like going into the city like you said before?"

"You'll have to wait and see," the blonde mischievously grinned.

ー

"The fuck...!" Riki yelled, staring out at the helicopter on a launching pad on top of the roof. "What the fuck?"

Iason pushed Riki across the roof toward the chopper by his wheelchair. "Have you never seen a helicopter?" he questioned back loudly, pushing the chair up the ramp.

"No!"

"Then this should be interesting for you!" Iason laughed, nodding at the redhead at the controls. "Bring up the ramp, Katze!" Katze nodded, pushing a button and bringing the ramp back up into the machine while Iason secured Riki into place. "There we are."

Daryl came forward with three suitcases and placed them into a cargo holding spot just behind Riki. He nodded to the mongrel, then hopped down and moved away from the flying machine.

Iason grabbed two headsets and settled down on a comfy bench seat next to Riki, fastening himself in before putting one headset on and then placing the other on Riki's head. "We are ready, Katze!" he announced.

"Yes, Sir."

Riki tensed as the helicoptered started to advance, and looked at Iason with wide eyes. "Thought you said we were going to the city? Where the fuck are we going!"

Iason laughed. "The city will always be there," he dismissed, holding onto the tanned hand. "I thought we could go somewhere a little more exciting, since you didn't seem too thrilled about art galleries and whatnot!"

Riki was speechless, choking on words. "I- I was joking!"

"We can always go to art galleries and museums when the weather is dreary," Iason suggested, then gestured outside to the scenery that was growing smaller as they rose upward. "I thought we should take advantage of this warm weather they forecasted. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the view!"

ー

"I've seen him!" the boy insisted, slamming his hands on the table. "He was in a wheelchair and with some blonde dude!"

Guy frowned. "A wheelchair?"

"Yes! He's fucking crippled!"

"No way," Sid insisted, puffing his cigarette. "There's no way that's Riki."

The brown haired boy's anger spiked and he hurried over to his bag in the corner and whipped out a newspaper section. He smacked it down on the table for the others to see. "I found this! Look, his parents are dead," he explained, pointing to the obituary section. "The cause was a car accident. He must've been with em."

"No way!"

"You serious, Kirie?" Norris demanded.

"Read for yourself!"

Guy leaned in, reading the section and was filled with dread. After searching for him for awhile, they had just assumed Riki had left them and gone with his parents or something. "Shit," he cussed, skimming the article. "What hospital is he at?"

"It's closed down," Kirie revealed, pointing to the end of another article. "They transferred everyone to the city hospital."

The young black haired youth stood up abruptly and grabbed his jacket, before storming out of the room.

"Guy!"

The black haired youth headed for his bike. "I'm gonna go see him!" he yelled to them. "He's probably pissed that we haven't found him!"

"But we looked!" Norris defended, hurrying out after him.

"Yeah man, it's not like we just sat around!" Luke insisted.

"That doesn't matter," Guy denied, putting his helmet on. "We have to go to him. He needs us. He's our leader and we've failed to be there. Now are you guys coming or not?"


End file.
